The European Commission Clears the Acquisition of a Maker of Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches by a Major Online Platform, Subject to Long-Lasting Behavioural Remedies (Google / Fitbit, M.9660)

The note summarizes and comments on the European Commission's decision to approve Google's acquisition of Fitbit, a maker of fitness trackers and smartwatches. The Commission approved the deal in December 2020, but made long-lasting behavioural remedies binding on Google.The case raises interesting questions relating to the role of privacy in EU merger control and the effectiveness of long-lasting behavioural remedies in fast-moving digital markets. The note was published in Concurrences Law Review, in a section that chronicles major decisions in European merger control (Chroniques Concentrations)