CANBERRA, Australia: Australia鈥檚 competition regulator on Tuesday delayed for three months its decision on Google鈥檚 plan to buy fitness gadget maker Fitbit for $2.1 billion despite the European Union giving conditional approval to the deal.
The European Union regulators last week approved the deal after Google promised to restrict user data and ensure Android phones work with other wearable devices for at least 10 years.
But the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said it was not prepared to accept a similar court-enforceable undertaking from the Silicon Valley tech giant.
鈥淲e are not satisfied that a long-term behavioral undertaking of this type in such a complex and dynamic industry could be effectively monitored and enforced in Australia,鈥� ACCC Chair Rod Sims said in a statement.
鈥淭he ACCC continues to have concerns that Google鈥檚 acquisition of Fitbit may result in Fitbit鈥檚 rivals, other than Apple, being squeezed out of the wearables market, as they are reliant on Google鈥檚 Android system and other Google services to make their devices work effectively,鈥� he added.
The ACCC would continue its investigation and set March 25 as its decision date, he said.
Google said in a statement it was disappointed at the delay but would continue to engage with the ACCC to answer the regulators鈥� questions.
Sims said his concerns about the deal were aligned with those of the US Department of Justice than those of the European Union.
Australia wanted to see what the US decided before making its own decision, Sims said.
The EU decision was largely focused on Google鈥檚 use of data, he said.
鈥淲e at the ACCC and the D.o.J have a very different theory of harm,鈥� Sims told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
鈥淲e鈥檙e concerned that if Google gets hold of Fitbit, that could mean, just like you鈥檝e got a bit of a duopoly with apps, you鈥檇 have a duopoly with wearables, which in our view would significantly reduce competition,鈥� he added.
Human rights and consumer groups have called on authorities to block the deal over privacy and antitrust concerns.