Facebook Buys Popular Fitness-Tracker App So It Can Know Even More About You

To say that Facebook has a lot of information about its users is a bit of an understatement. The social giant knows about countless birthdays, relationships, jobs and vacations. And now, it's added your workout habits to the list. 

Facebook just acquired a Finnish startup called ProtoGeo Oy for an undisclosed sum. The Helsinki-based company is two years old and is the creator a popular a fitness app called Moves. The app launched last year has been downloaded 4 million times. 

Related: Facebook Buys Social Startup Branch to Spearhead New 'Conversations' Group

Moves is  described as "an activity diary of your life," that records your daily exercise and burned calories. Though available for both Apple and Android phones, there are some features like a calorie counter which are currently only on the iPhone. 

The app positions itself as a simple and intuitive alternative to fitness tracking devices like the Fitbit and Nike's FuelBand. 

Related: Facebook Buys WhatsApp in Whopping $19 Billion Deal

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With that in mind, it seems that Facebook is choosing an interesting time to get into the fitness game. Fitbit recently recalled  its $130 Fitbit Force wristband after finding that it caused rashes in some users. Meanwhile, there have also been reports that Nike is moving away from wearables and shifting its focus to apps.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

Like Instagram, WhatsApp and Branch before it, Moves will continue to be a standalone app, but the team behind it will be joining Facebook to "work on building and improving their products and services with a shared mission of supporting simple, efficient tools for more than a billion people."

Related: 5 Ways Tech Is Forever Changing Fitness Franchises