The EU is launching a full-blown antitrust investigation into Google's Fitbit acquisition (GOOG, GOOGL, FIT)

* The EU has officially opened an investigation into Google's acquisition of Fitbit. * Google announced it planned to buy Fitbit for $2.1 billion in November, but the deal has yet to get regulatory approval. * The EU investigation will focus on whether the acquisition would give Google an unfair advantage over competitors by hoovering up Fitbit user data. * Google's senior vice president of Devices and Services put out a blog post on Tuesday defending the acquisition. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The EU has officially opened an in-depth investigation into Google's planned $2.1 billion acquisition of wearables company Fitbit. The European Commission, which was already conducting a preliminary investigation of the deal, announced the probe on Tuesday. The investigation will center on whether Google's acquisition of Fitbit will allow it to hoover up health data, which could in turn give Google an unfair advantage over competitors. EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement: "The use of wearable devices by European consumers is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. This will go hand in hand with an exponential growth of data generated through these devices. This data provides key insights about the life and the health situation of the users of these devices. Our investigation aims to ensure that control by Google over data collected through wearable devices as a result of the transaction does not distort competition." Sources previously told Reuters a full-blown investigation was on the way, and that it will take about four months to complete. Google announced it had agreed to buy Fitbit for $2.1 billion in November. Last month the tech giant formally promised the EU it would not use health data from Fitbit to target ads at Google users. On Tuesday, Google's Senior Vice President of Devices and Services Rick Osterloh put out a blog post defending the acquisition. "This deal is about devices, not data. We've been clear from the beginning that we will not use Fitbit health and wellness data for Google ads," Osterloh wrote, referring back to Google's promise not to use health data for ad targeting. "We appreciate the opportunity to work with the European Commission on an approach that addresses consumers' expectations of their wearable devices. We're confident that by working closely with Fitbit's team of experts, and bringing together our experience in AI, software and hardware, we can build compelling devices for people around the world," he added. Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship
https://bit.ly/33qaIIv

SpaceX has a 'go' from NASA to return 2 astronauts to Earth on Sunday as Hurricane Isaias threatens several Florida splashdown locations

* NASA on Saturday gave SpaceX a "go" to undock the company's first crewed space mission, called Demo-2, and land it on Sunday evening. * Hurricane Isaias complicated original plans to return two astronauts to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship in the Atlantic Ocean. * Elon Musk's aerospace company may now try to splash down NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in the Gulf of Mexico. * Two out of seven total landing sites near Florida must have good weather conditions, and NASA has until about 5 p.m. ET on Saturday to call off the undocking. * Should the weather worsen, NASA and SpaceX can try again a day later or some other date over the next two months. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have a "go" to return to Earth this weekend and wrap up an historic space mission for both NASA and SpaceX. Behnken and Hurley launched to orbit aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehic...

What an independent contractor actually is and how it's classified under California's Assembly Bill 5, the gig worker law Uber, Lyft, and others are fighting with a November ballot measure

* California's Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) went into effect in January, adopting a narrow definition of independent contractor that forces Uber and other gig economy businesses to choose between reclassifying workers as employees or risking significant liability for misclassification. * The law serves as a reminder to California businesses to be careful when classifying workers as contractors. * Classifying independent contractors falls into two main categories: the "right to control" test (often called the "IRS test") and the tougher "ABC test" recently adopted in AB5. * Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have recently poured $30 million into Proposition 22 — a ballot measure intended to exempt major ridesharing and food delivery companies from AB5. If California residents vote the measure into effect in November, Uber and Lyft can continue classifying drivers as contractors. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In September 2019, Californ...

PayPal parts with top advertising executive after shifting its marketing strategy during the pandemic

* PayPal's chief creative officer Steve Simpson, its top advertising executive, left the company after about a year. * The move came after PayPal shifted its marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic, placing less emphasis on the brand and more on catering to small businesses, said a source with direct knowledge of the marketing operation. * Simpson's departure followed that of CMO and former Apple executive Allison Johnson in May. Both "decided to leave PayPal" as the company streamlines its global marketing functions, according to a PayPal spokeswoman. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. PayPal's highest-ranking ad executive Steve Simpson left earlier this month after just over a year as part of a restructuring of its global marketing business. Simpson, who was chief creative officer, was hired to make high-minded ad campaigns to help PayPal stand out from competitors like Square, Stripe, and Apple Pay. But this strategy chan...

Real IT Center