The U.S. Justice Department will review plans by Google to acquire Fitbit Inc for possible antitrust issues.
The reports that first emerged in the New York Post and were subsequently verified by Reuters.
Google on November 1 offered to pay $2.1 billion to acquire Fitibit. Watchdog groups like Public Citizen and the Center for Digital Democracy, among others, have urged antitrust enforcers to block the deal on the grounds that it will give Google even more data about American consumers. Google’s primary business involves targeted advertising, data mining, and services.
The Federal Trade Commission also reviews mergers and could have investigated Google’s deal for Fitbit. But according to the Post, a source said the DOJ and the FTC engaged in an “arm wrestle” over who would handle this one, as the the Department of Justice Antitrust Division has already launched a competition probe into Google as part of a broader federal review of the tech industry.
The Federal Trade Commission also reviews mergers and could have investigated Google’s deal for Fitbit. But according to the Post, a source said the DOJ and the FTC engaged in an “arm wrestle” over who would handle this one, as the the Department of Justice Antitrust Division has already launched a competition probe into Google as part of a broader federal review of the tech industry.
