Google wins EU approval for Fitbit bid amid tech crackdown

Google won European Union approval for its $2.1 billion takeover of health tracker Fitbit Inc., days after regulators proposed tougher rules to curb powerful technology firms’ push into new services.

The European Commission said Google’s pledge to maintain access for rival health and fitness apps and device makers for 10 years removed its concerns about the U.S. tech giant’s move into health data and devices. Smaller rivals previously complained that the company’s promises might not go far enough to stop Google shutting off access in future to rival products or services.

“The commitments will determine how Google can use the data collected for ad purposes, how interoperability between competing wearables and Android will be safeguarded and how users can continue to share health and fitness data, if they choose to,” Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust chief, said in a statement Thursday.