BRUSSELS — Alphabet unit Google's bid to take on Apple and Samsung in the wearable technology market by buying Fitbit hit a hurdle on Tuesday as EU antitrust regulators launched an investigation into the $2.1 billion deal. The move by the European Commission on Tuesday came despite Google's pledge last month not to use the fitness tracker's data for advertising purposes in a bid to address competition concerns. The EU antitrust enforcer said the data pledge was insufficient to allay its worries. "The proposed transaction would further entrench Google's market position in the online advertising markets by increasing the already vast amount of data that Google could use for personalisation of the ads it serves and displays," the Commission said. It singled out online search and display advertising services and ad tech services, where analytics and digital tools are used in digital advertising, as two areas that would be affected by the deal.

Source: International New York Times August 04, 2020 13:48 UTC