FitBit Now Belongs to Google. Should you be Worried?

Twenty-eight million people use FitBit — and some are now trashing it because Google just bought the company. Cause for concern? Or is the Google-Fit Bit acquisition nothing to worry about?

Google Bought FitBit

On November 1, FitBit announced that it had “entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Google LLC for $7.35 per share in cash, valuing the company at a fully diluted equity value of approximately $2.1 billion.”

Several consumer groups aren’t happy with the deal and are calling on the FTC to block the agreement, citing privacy and antitrust concerns.

Privacy Concerns Plague Google’s FitBit Acquisition

Opponents of Google’s FitBit acquisition have antitrust concerns. The deal, they argue, unfairly gives Google dominance over the internet service and data advertising markets.

Fitbit’s multi-functionality is fueling the concern. The device is an activity tracker, a calorie counter, and a communication hub, which has privacy advocates asking: What will Google do with all this extra data? What about the health data implications? How can brands and governments use number-of-steps, breathing quality, and sleep quality data?

Right now, Google swears it won’t use the FitBit data. They say doing so is against the company’s ethos and commitment to consumer privacy. But users aren’t concerned about now, they’re worried about later. After all, tech companies have a track record of changing policies when opportunities arise.

What Does the FitBit Acquisition Mean For You?

What does Google’s FitBit acquisition mean for you? Probably nothing.

For starters, European users have the General Data Protection Regulation on their side. An online privacy statute, the GDPR confers the “right to be forgotten” on EU citizens. Under the law, users can force companies to delete personal data.

And though North American doesn’t have a GDPR legislative equivalent, FitBit users can already delete their information via the company’s website. Google is also promising to expunge deleted FitBit data after a seven-day grace period.

As far as the acquisition goes, it appears to be all systems go.

Will you stick with FitBit? Will you dump it? We’ve laid out the facts, the choice is yours.