EPIC to Oppose Google-Fitbit Deal

In a statement released today, Marc Rotenberg said that EPIC would oppose Google's proposed acquisition of the fitness tracking company Fitbit. Mr. Rotenberg said the deal should not be approved. "There is no reason to trust Google's assurances about privacy protection," Mr. Rotenberg said, citing previous matters involving Doubleclick, YouTube, Google HomeMini, and Nest. Noting statements antitrust enforcement by the the FTC Chairman and the Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Rotenberg also said, "The Google-Fitbit deal is a test of their commitment to competition, innovation, and data protection." EPIC brought the 2012 case against the FTC for the agency's failure to enforce the 2011 consent order against Google after the company consolidated user data across multiple services.