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May 1, 2008 12:47 PM PDT

Google CEO Eric Schmidt: Social networks are still too closed

Posted by Dan Farber

LOS ANGELES--Speaking at IBM's Business Partner Leadership Conference here, Google CEO Eric Schmidt reiterated his position that social networks are still too closed. "If it's not searchable by Google, it's not open, and open is best for the consumer," he said.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt believes that people should be able to move from place to place on the Web with their data.

He added that "searchable by Google" means also searchable by other search engines, such as Yahoo. "People should be able to move from place to place, and their data is available everywhere," Schmidt said. "Social networks are a real phenomenon of people living their lives online, and it has has legs. We will have to deal with it as a society."

Google has focused efforts on creating code, such as the open source OpenSocial APIs and the Social Graph API, to make social data more portable and accessible to applications. So far, Facebook is the only major social network that has not endorsed the OpenSocial initiative, which is now managed by an independent organization, the OpenSocial Foundation.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 12 comments (Page 1 of 2)
by mathoda May 1, 2008 1:58 PM PDT
Of course Google wants social networks (eg, Facebook) to open up to Google search. Otherwise Google can't accomplish its mission, as I point out at http://mathoda.com/archives/205. But Google itself makes lots of money by being closed, as I point out at http://mathoda.com/archives/195
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by cube3 May 1, 2008 2:17 PM PDT
Google says we want all your information, all your friends information, and the RIGHT to question you about it on a Corporate /CIA House Committee panel coming to the blacklist near your soon. How we forget only 50 years ago... OK blogger jounalist- you reported the words.. now do the work. CONTEXT.
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by The_Decider May 1, 2008 2:31 PM PDT
This is one big reason why Google is evil. They think they have a right to everyones data regardless of the data owners wishes.
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by The_Decider May 1, 2008 2:32 PM PDT
This is one big reason why Google is evil. They think they have a right to everyones data regardless of the data owners wishes.
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by dfarber May 1, 2008 2:54 PM PDT
Google, Yahoo etc all should be able to search what is public (and that is an issue given that you don't really have control over what get out about "you") but users should have control over what information about them that they control is shared and with whom.... Should Google should have a process by which people claim their data and assert rights over it...complicated but worth discussion...
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by Kev Orng May 2, 2008 7:14 AM PDT
If Facebook was open to Google searches, then my facebook name would be something like "Youcant Googleme" instead of my actual real name. I know some people five years younger than me might not feel this way, but I find it very comforting to know that if anybody were to Google my real name (as opposed to the name I use to post on tech blogs) the only thing they would learn is that there are lots of people with the same name as me. The last thing I'd want is to not get hired because i wrote some anti-Windows Vista tirade last year.
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by DrBoyce May 2, 2008 7:04 PM PDT
As Google tries to take over the world, it's funny that most people usually forget that Google makes ALL their money by PPC and AdSense. Whether or not they want to spider my Credit Repair Program at http://www.jeffboyce.net or not - or any other social blog makes little difference to me...since ranking organically cost me ZERO to be in love with Google (...though very frustrated on algorithem changes!)
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by jjoensuu May 3, 2008 4:22 AM PDT
Googles mission is NOT to "organize the world?s information and make it universally accessible and useful". That is nothing but bulls**t. Their mission can rather be stated as to "organize the world?s information and make it universally accessible to Google". Whether the worlds information then becomes available to the masses, or even useful to the masses, is of secondary interest to Google and is driven by the question "what is in it for Google". Even if all of the worlds social networks were available to Google, they would not NECESSARILY be available to everyone. Were such information indexed and stored on Google servers, it would end up being used internally by Google and made available to the U.S. domestic spying agencies. Certainly the domestic "law enforcement" agencies have a priority before the masses in determining what information is collected and made available to whom. That in fact serves Googles interests far more than making it possible for the Joe Sixpacks of the U.S. to find information about some Jane Does.
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by jjoensuu May 3, 2008 4:37 AM PDT
So with only a slight exaggeration it could be said that Google is a front-end for the U.S. domestic law-enforcement agencies.
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by sent2null May 5, 2008 5:14 AM PDT
Dan, Do you have a link to the original conference video or transcript ? so that we can ensure preservation of context was ensured in the quotes you provided. The veracity of your paraphrasing of his statements would be bolstered if we could immediately and directly confirm the context from the actual transcript. The hyper linking media makes such context preservation a trivial matter and would solidify the credulity of your report. Thanks sent2null
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  • About Outside the Lines

  • Dan Farber is the editor in chief of CNET News. He has covered technology for more than two decades, and previously served as editor in chief of ZDNet, PCWeek and Macweek. Outside the Lines explores the intersection of business and technology.

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