An EU privacy regulator has now officially expressed its concerns over the Alphabet-owned Google's bid to take over fitness tracking firm FitBit. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) stated on Thursday that the merger could pose serious privacy risks to users.
The EDPB mentioned in a statement that the merger could result in the combination and accumulation of sensitive personal data from people living in Europe. Its acquisition of Fitbit will essentially give Google access to that data, resulting in a high level of risk to privacy that goes against data protection regulations.
The EDPB concerns mirrored that of European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager's previous statements when she voiced out the possible risks of big companies taking over their data-heavy rivals. Vestager will be part of the committee that will review the merger proposition later in November this year.
The agency urged both Google and FitBit to take a close look at their data privacy requirement and the possible impact of their merger. The EDPB added that the company should be transparent in its next steps and find solutions to mitigate data and privacy risk before they attempt to seek antitrust approval in the European Union.
In response to previous concerns raised by other privacy regulators, Google had said that it does not intend to sell personal information to anyone at any price. The US tech giant added that it has no plans of using data gathered from FitBit users for targeted advertisements and other similar uses.
Google had mentioned in a statement that the protection of its customer's information is the core of their business. The company stated that it will work constructively with global regulators to address all of their valid concerns over its plans to enter the fitness tracking market.
Google originally announced its intention to take over the California-based company in November last year. The move is part of the company's plans to take on direct competitors such as Apple and Samsung in the highly lucrative and rapidly growing fitness tracker and smart wearable market.
Rather than produce its own product, taking over FitBit would allow Google to tap into the company's experience and comprehensive portfolio. FitBit is currently one of the leading companies in terms of developing wireless-enabled wearable technologies. The company offers a wide range of devices using the technology, which is able to track and measure data such as heart rates, steps, sleep, and other personal fitness metrics.
