Alphabet Is in Talks to Buy Smart Watch Maker Fitbit
Alphabet, owner of Google, is in talks for a potential acquisition of smart watch maker Fitbit, a move that could bolster its hardware business while also increasing antitrust scrutiny. Google is under investigation for anti-competitive behavior by both the U.S. federal government and a collection of state attorneys general because of its online advertising and data collection practices, making any acquisition the company does likely to come under strict scrutiny. At the same time though, the internet giant is looking to bolster its hardware business, which includes smart home speakers and devices, laptops and the Pixel line of smart phones. Fitbit could give Google a leg-up in the smart watch and health tracker space.