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Facebook reportedly wanted to buy Fitbit but Google paid double

Google and Fitbit reached a multibillion dollar deal Friday.

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Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
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Before Google bought Fitbit on Friday for $2.1 billion, social media giant Facebook had also reportedly thrown its proverbial hat into the ring. Facebook was in talks to acquire the wearables maker, according to The Information, which cited anonymous sources. The social media monolith reportedly didn't close the sale because it offered only half of what Google was willing to pay. 

CNET has reached out to Facebook, and we'll update when we hear back. It's unclear why Facebook wanted to acquire Fitbit, but it could mean the social media giant is looking to expand more into hardware. 

"Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission," Fitbit CEO James Park said in a release Friday. "With Google's resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead."

The transaction is expected to be completed by 2020. Fitbit's press release also said Fitbit is committed to keeping users in control of their data and remaining transparent. In the release, Fitbit said it never sells personal information and that the Fitbit health and wellness data won't be used for Google ads.

"We're looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Fitbit, and bringing together the best hardware, software and AI, to build wearables to help even more people around the world," Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google, said in the release. 

Watch this: Why Google could use Fitbit