14 DAY TRIAL // Google originally announced an agreement to take over Fitbit back in late 2019, but the deal was put on hold due to pending regulatory approval which apparently took more than a year to come.
Today, however, the search giant has finally announced that it received the official go-ahead to purchase Fitbit, so the deal is now ready to go through.
Needless to say, with Google taking over one of the largest wearable device makers, some are concerned the search giant would obtain control of a massive amount of data. But Google says this deal isn’t about data, as the company isn’t actually interested in obtaining such information.
Google-branded smartwatch likely on the table
Instead, Google wants to go for devices, and this could be an indication a Google-branded smartwatch is still on the radar and now that Fitbit has become a Google asset, it might all be just a matter of time.
“This deal has always been about devices, not data, and we’ve been clear since the beginning that we will protect Fitbit users’ privacy. We worked with global regulators on an approach which safeguards consumers' privacy expectations, including a series of binding commitments that confirm Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won't be used for Google ads and this data will be separated from other Google ads data,” Rick Osterloh, Senior Vice President, Devices & Services, says in a statement.
“We’ll also maintain access to Android APIs that enable devices like fitness trackers and smart watches to interoperate with Android smartphones, and we’ll continue to allow Fitbit users to choose to connect to third-party services so you’ll still be able to sync your favorite health and fitness apps to your Fitbit account. These commitments will be implemented globally so that all consumers can benefit from them. We’ll also continue to work with regulators around the world so that they can be assured that we are living up to these commitments.”
Of course, Google hasn’t shared any specifics about any devices it plans to receive with the help of Fitbit.