To Protect Democratic Rule of Law, Privacy, and Public Health, the Biden Administration Should Immediately Move to Block Google Takeover of Fitbit

WASHINGTON – Google announced yesterday that it has "completed" its acquisition of FitBit, despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Justice is still investigating the takeover.

In response, Barry Lynn, executive director for Open Markets Institute, issued the following statement:

"Google's unilateral decision to move forward on its plan to takeover FitBit is a stark demonstration of the corporation's disregard for democratic governance. Just this last fall, three separate antitrust cases were brought against Google, by a bipartisan group of states attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice. In October, the House Antitrust Subcommittee issued a report that made clear that the corporation’s power and business model pose a threat to American democracy.

“As Open Markets Institute made clear in December, the FitBit takeover specifically would give Google even more control over the most intimate forms of private information about individuals. The deal also poses a variety of threats to innovation in the market for health data. 

“Open Markets calls on the Biden Administration to immediately make clear that it intends to block Google's acquisition of FitBit. It should do so both because the deal is bad for Americans and to demonstrate that it will not abide further disrespect by Google of democratic rule of law.”

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