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Exclusive: Google, Fitbit deal set to win EU okay after fresh concessions - sources

The worlds most popular internet search engine on Tuesday offered fresh concessions to the European Commission in a bid to address concerns the deal could entrench Googles power in online advertising and boost its trove of data.

Google said it had offered to restrict the use of Fitbit data for Google ads and would also tighten the monitoring of that process, confirming a Reuters report.

The EU competition enforcer will now seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept Googles concessions, demand more, or either clear or block the detail.

Last month, it rejected Googles pledge not to use the fitness trackers data for advertising purposes in a bid to address competition concerns, saying that it was insufficient.

The Commission recently asked Googles rivals and customers about interoperability issues, what technical steps Google could take to foreclose competition to Fitbit to increase its sales, and what could prompt it to do so, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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Author: Foo Yun Chee

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Foo Yun Chee has recently written 11 articles on similar topics including :
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  8. "Facebook's acquisition of customer service startup Kustomer may be subjected to European Union antitrust scrutiny after Austria asked EU enforcers to take over the task, the European Commission said on Tuesday". (April 6, 2021)
  9. "Alphabet's Google is set to win EU antitrust approval for its $2.1 billion acquisition of fitness tracker maker Fitbit with its latest concessions to address EU antitrust concerns, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday". (September 29, 2020)
  10. "Facebook and Belgium's privacy watchdog sparred on Monday at Europe's top court over which data protection authority has the power to police the U.S. social media giant in a case that could escalate its privacy fights across the EU". (October 5, 2020)
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