Google LLC’s plan to buy smartwatch maker Fitbit Inc. has drawn the attention of European Union regulators, which Reuters reported today are expected to open an antitrust investigation into the deal.

Sources told the news agency that the probe will be launched next week. 

Google last year inked a $2.1 billion agreement to acquire publicly traded Fitbit, which was estimated to be the fifth largest consumer wearables maker as of the fourth quarter. The company is best known for its health tracking smartwatches. Fitbit’s smartwatches help users monitor their exercise sessions and sleep quality, as well as view notifications from their phones and use popular apps such as Spotify.

It’s unclear which specific aspects of the deal the EU probe will examine. However, recent developments around the transaction may provide clues. A previous report claimed that Google, in a bid to address EU concerns, has offered regulators not to use data collected by Fitbit devices for ad targeting.

A group of privacy advocacy groups earlier raised concerns that the deal could let Google use information Fitbit gathers on users’ health for commercial purposes.

Google says that the smartwatch maker’s data trove is not the reason it’s pursuing the acquisition. “This deal is about devices, not data,” the company said in a statement earlier this month. It today issued a new statement saying that “the wearables space is crowded, and we believe the combination of Google and Fitbit’s hardware efforts will increase competition in the sector.”

In talks with regulators, Google may seek to support the argument that the deal will increase competition by pointing to Fitbit’s financial performance. The smartwatch maker’s shares are trading at about a third their 2015 IPO price and it’s expected to report a 35% quarterly revenue drop next week. Google could make the argument that being part of the Alphabet Inc. family would improve Fitbit’s long-term prospects, as well as allow it to compete more effectively with larger smartwatch makers such as Apple Inc.

Smartwatches aren’t the only part of the wearables market Google is eyeing. It recently acquired North Inc., a Canadian augmented reality glasses startup, for a reported $180 million. Google currently doesn’t have a consumer smart glasses product but does offer the Glass Enterprise Edition for companies.

The search giant’s wearable strategy is in a way an extension of its effort to compete with Amazon.com Inc. in the voice assistant market. Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa assistant is the main rival to Google Assistant. Last year, the online retail giant introduced multiple Alexa-powered wearables, including smart glasses, wireless earbuds and a smart ring.

There are early indications that Google hopes to take the Fitbit deal in a similar direction. Fitbit’s smartwatches currently don’t support Google Assistant, but app code snippets and a Wired U.K. report from last year suggest the companies are looking to bring the service to the smartwatch maker’s products. 

Image: Fitbit