Fitbit users will soon need to sign up with Google, and we have questions

With the pixel clock People popping up around the corner have been wondering what’s up with Fitbit now that Google has officially acquired the brand. According to an updated support pageit looks like an account consolidation is on the horizon.

Next year, Google will require a Google account to use some of Fitbit’s features. “We plan to allow Fitbit to be used with a Google Account sometime in 2023,” Google said. For now, you still need a Fitbit account to set up a new device.

If you want to link your Google account when the option launches next year, you’ll need to consent to the transfer of Fitbit data from one account to the other. After that, you’ll be able to continue using your existing Fitbit account for as long as Google supports it, until “at least early 2025.” Regardless, after 2025 that Google sign-in will be required unless you want your watch to be a bunch of junk. Google says it will provide additional information closer to the launch of Google Accounts on Fitbit.

The company cites several benefits for this move: single login for Fitbit and Google services, “best-in-class account security”, “centralized privacy controls for Fitbit data” and “access to additional Google features” on Fitbit. But it doesn’t explain what users can expect after 2025, just that “a Google account will be required to use Fitbit.”

Of course, this raises a few red flags for people who aren’t too keen on connecting their fitness data to Google’s ecosystem. Google promises to “protect the privacy of Fitbit customers” in Europe under a previous agreement, but it’s an open question how long it will keep the data separate after someone makes the switch, or whether it will use collected data for purposes other than advertising while its agreement’s clock is still ticking. its observance EU regulations is only extended to ten years, after which the Commission can decide on reinstatement.

After that, would users still have the separation of fitness data and the data used to serve them ads on the Android platform? And what about current Google and Fitbit accounts in the US that aren’t subject to the same privacy rules?

When I turned to Google for answers to the above questions, I got the same response that other outlets had given. “Google accounts on Fitbit will fully comply with our commitments to global regulators. After a user signs up for or switches to a Google Account, we continue to keep Fitbit users’ health and wellness data separate from Google Ads data, and that data is not used for Google Ads.” whether this will continue beyond the ten year period.

This will likely become a hotter topic once the Pixel Watch officially launches. There obviously leaks of the Fitbit branding on the box, which leads us to believe it will be a big part of this launch.

I haven’t used Fitbit in years, so I looked at the current login situation. I had to reset my password to get in. There is already a Google account prompt on the main accounts page, which is different from Google accounts on Fitbit. This feels similar to how Google made people move their Nest accounts transition to Google and create a fragmented mess of Google’s smart home ecosystem.

While it may not be the same kind of fragmentation, it’s a reminder of the power Google has to shove users into its system through large acquisitions. Here’s hoping Google drops the law and is as transparent as it promises when it reveals more details about what’s happening with Fitbit accounts soon.