How Google's Fitbit Acquisition Is Already Posing Some Problems

A certain number of Fitbit Inc FIT users aren't happy the fitness tracker and smartwatch maker sold itself to Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL, according to CNBC.

What Fitbit Users Are Saying

Alphabet's Google unit said in November it will buy Fitbit in a $2.1 billion deal to gain better exposure to the health and wellness space. Nultiple users have expressed privacy related concerns and have no interest in being part of the Google ecosystem.

A Fitbit user named Mike Carpenter told CNBC he's concerned what Google will do with all the data it collects "once their AI advances in 10 or 20 years." Google will have a trove of data that "health insurance companies would love to get their hands on."

"I only recently got it and now I'm thinking I don't need Google watching literally my every step or my every heart beat," Fitbit user Dan Kleinman told CNBC.

Why It's Important

Concerns related to how Google handles health data is not unfounded and gained some credibility based on recent revelations. Google is actively storing and analyzing health data as part of a partnership with the major hospital system Ascension as part of an initiative dubbed "Project Nightingale."

Reports of users ditching their Fitbit products is unlikely to derail the merger process. Fitbit said in a press release consumer trust is "paramount" to the company and strong privacy and security will remain a key component of its business.

"The company never sells personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads," Fitbit said.

Related Links:

Google Invades Apple's Wearables Territory With Fitbit Acquisition

Experts Discuss Google's Secretive Project Nightingale

Photo courtesy of Fitbit.