Wearable technology company Fitbit has announced a new clause that requires users to switch to a Google account “sometime” in 2023.
“In 2023, we plan to launch Google accounts on Fitbit, which will enable use of Fitbit with a Google account,” the Google-owned fitness devices maker said.
The switch will not go live for all users in 2023. Rather, support for Fitbit accounts is expected to continue until at least the beginning of 2025, after which a Google account will be mandatory for using the devices.
The deeper integration also means that a Google account will be compulsory to sign up for Fitbit and activate new features, including those that incorporate Google products and services such as Google Assistant.
Also necessitated as part of the transition is the consent from the part of users to move their personal data from Fitbit to Google. The internet giant stressed that users’ personal information will not be used to serve ads.
The goal, Fitbit said, is to include a “single login for Fitbit and other Google services, industry-leading account security, centralized privacy controls for Fitbit user data, and more features from Google on Fitbit.”
The development comes more than three years after Google announced similar changes in May 2019 post its acquisition of smart home company Nest.
In January 2021, when Google completed its Fitbit acquisition, the company said the “deal has always been about devices, not data,” and that it “will protect Fitbit users’ privacy.”