Google’s new Friend Connect application is an attempt to integrate all social networking sites with one user-friendly widget-type device to be used on any web site. The application will allow access to social networking sites like MySpace from any web site or blog, and is already being warmly received by many popular sites online.
But one social networking site that is not too happy about Google’s new service is Facebook. Betanews.com is reporting that the Facebook blog recently outlined the site’s position, and why they are refusing Google’s Friend Connect service. Facebook representatives claim that Friend Connect does not respect the privacy standards outlined in Facebook’s terms of service, and that the company had no choice but to suspend Google’s “access to the site at this time.”
Last weekend, a Google spokesperson responded to the charges by outlining exactly how Friend Connect works. Among other points, the Google representative insists that the Friend Connect service reads only a tiny portion of user data from Facebook public profiles, and that no information is passed on to third-party applications except for the web address where the Facebook member’s public photo is hosted.
Further, Google is claiming that Friend Connect doesn’t even have access to Facebook user profile information, nor does not keep tabs on a users friends list or pass on such information. Third-party IT experts have verified that Google’s Friend Connect does not violate Facebook’s terms of service, and protects the security of users information. So what is really going on here? What is the REAL reason for Facebook’s rejection of Friend Connect?
The answer to this questions could be as simple as basic human ego. In a statement on the subject, Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “they [Google] launched that [Friend Connect] without asking us or talking to us about it first.”
From the above statement it seems likely that Facebook is snubbing Friend Connect because Google had the audacity to develop the application without consulting with Facebook first. Wow. I guess it’s true that even billion-dollar multinational corporations can behave like spoiled children sometimes.
In essence, Facebook is attempting to “take their ball and go home” because Google didn’t invite them to the party when creating Friend Connect. Google representatives and third-party experts have all confirmed that Friend Connect is completely within Facebook’s terms of service and security guidelines, and offers no threat whatsoever of exposing sensitive user information.
So either Facebook knows something the rest of the world doesn’t, or (more likely) they are pouting like a spoiled child because Google developed the new application without asking them to be involved.
My guess would be because they don’t want to let Google do anything that will help them get into the social graph game. And I’m sure Microsoft with it’s 240M equity stake in Facebook had a say in it.
Facebook doesn’t seem to be too concerned about other social graph aggregators like Minggl, etc.
On another front, Facebook has now started blocking users who use Spamex email addresses, calling the spamex domains “abusive”. No warnings or notifications to users at all, just switching them off out of the blue with no explantion. Is it concern over abuse, or concern that spamex addresses are not valued by advertisers?
See http://getsatisfaction.com/people/doh & http://www.kinasevych.ca/archives/238
Comment by DV — July 25, 2008 @ 10:37 am