January, 14 2021, 11:00pm EDT
To Protect Democratic Rule of Law, Privacy, and Public Health, the Biden Administration Should Immediately Move to Block Google Takeover of Fitbit
WASHINGTON
Google announced yesterday that it has "completed" its acquisition of FitBit, despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Justice is still investigating the takeover.
In response, Barry Lynn, executive director for Open Markets Institute, issued the following statement:
"Google's unilateral decision to move forward on its plan to takeover FitBit is a stark demonstration of the corporation's disregard for democratic governance. Just this last fall, three separate antitrust cases were brought against Google, by a bipartisan group of states attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice. In October, the House Antitrust Subcommittee issued a report that made clear that the corporation's power and business model pose a threat to American democracy.
"As Open Markets Institute made clear in December, the FitBit takeover specifically would give Google even more control over the most intimate forms of private information about individuals. The deal also poses a variety of threats to innovation in the market for health data.
"Open Markets calls on the Biden Administration to immediately make clear that it intends to block Google's acquisition of FitBit. It should do so both because the deal is bad for Americans and to demonstrate that it will not abide further disrespect by Google of democratic rule of law."
The Open Markets Institute works to address threats to our democracy, individual liberties, and our national security from today's unprecedented levels of corporate concentration and monopoly power. By combining policy, legal, and market structure expertise with sophisticated communications and outreach efforts, Open Markets seeks not only to hold today's monopolies accountable for abuse of power, but to rebuild an economic system where progress is easier to achieve, because power is far more widely and equitably distributed
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The anti-war group CodePink said Hajjaj immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was two months old, and has lost approximately 20 family members to Israel's bombardment of Gaza since October.
The group targeted Austin's testimony a month after the Biden administration released its 2025 budget request—a proposal that includes $1.1 trillion in military-related spending. Despite growing calls from U.S. lawmakers and rights advocates, the White House has not announced conditions for military aid to Israel, which has been widely accused of human rights violations as it has assaulted Gaza and blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Palestinians.
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At least 13,000 children have been killed, and the United Nations reported in February that 70% of those killed overall have been women and children—even as Israel and the U.S. have insisted Israeli forces are targeting Hamas.
The International Court of Justice issued a preliminary ruling in January saying Israel is "plausibly" committing genocide in Gaza, and lawmakers including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have expressed support for the ruling—but the U.S. has dismissed the court's findings, including at Austin's hearing last week.
While Hajjaj held up her son at Wednesday's hearing, another protester, identified by CodePink as Helen, addressed the defense secretary.
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About 4,000 Volkswagen workers in Tennessee are voting on whether to unionize with the United Auto Workers. Labor journalist @hamiltonnolan says it's the most important union vote in years and could be the "first domino" in a wider push to organize the auto industry in the South. pic.twitter.com/RWFnO5KznI
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) April 17, 2024
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