Reuters: Google makes concessions to have the Fitbit takeover approved by the EU

Google would have made concessions to have the acquisition of Fitbit approved by the European Commission. The search giant previously promised not to use data for advertisements; Google now promises to monitor this closely.

According to Reuters, the concessions made by Google pave the way for the acquisition. Sources familiar with the details say so to the news agency. In July, Google already promised not to use data from Fitbit for advertisements. Google now pledges to tighten up its monitoring of that process. The promises may be laid down in a contract so that they are legally binding. Exact details are unknown.

Google also says in a statement to Reuters that the company will continue to support other Android wearable manufacturers. Google also promises that Fitbit users can continue to use third-party services by connecting to APIs. Third parties will continue to have access to users’ data, if those users agree. This may be necessary for the operation of services, for example.

Last week, the European Commission announced that it would take longer to investigate the Google acquisition. No later than December 23, there will be a decision whether the acquisition of Fitbit can proceed. That decision can also come earlier. According to Reuters, feedback is first asked from competitors and consumers before a judgment is made.

Google reached an agreement with Fitbit for an acquisition late last year. The search giant pays 2.1 billion dollars, which is about 1.8 billion euros for the wearable manufacturer. Google said back then that it was about the hardware and not about the data.