Letter by Open Markets Institute, Center for Digital Democracy, Public Citizen, EPIC, and Others Demanding the Federal Trade Commission Block Google's Fitbit Acquisition
On November 13, 2019, the Open Markets Institute, the Center for Digital Democracy, Public Citizen, EPIC, along with Commercial-Free Childhood, Consumer Federation of America, Oakland Privacy, Media Alliance, and Consumer Action submitted a letter to the Federal Trade Commission demanding to block Google’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit.
As we write in the letter, if this acquisition is approved, Google will further consolidate its monopoly power over Internet-based services. It will increase its already massive store of consumer data, including highly sensitive health and location information.
Google already holds a dominant position in the digital marketplace, health data is critical to the future of that marketplace, and the data protection concerns stemming from the acquisition will have far-reaching consequences including a dramatic erosion of consumer privacy.