Google shuts off data feed to Facebook

November 8, 2010 By Jeffrey Van Camp

Google has shut down automatic access to its Gmail contacts and other information to companies like Facebook. Only companies who share data back can access it.

Google isn’t going to share its data with just any company–not anymore, at least. The search giant, known for promoting the open web, is getting stern with its data, especially where it relates to Facebook, reports Reuters. Google is blocking data access to its Gmail and Android contacts lists to any company that refuses to give open access back to Google. In essence, the search company is no longer giving away its data like a charitable person; it expects a gift in return.

The move is a direct attack on Facebook, but there are no stats on how many other companies this block will affect. Until now, someone signing up for Facebook could instantly add Gmail contacts who happened to have a Facebook account to their friend list. This feature will be deactivated by Google.

“We have decided to change our approach slightly to reflect the fact that users often aren’t aware that once they have imported their contacts into sites like Facebook, they are effectively trapped,” Google said in a statement. ”We will no longer allow websites to automate the import of users’ Google Contacts (via our API) unless they allow similar export to other sites.”

A bitter rivalry

Google has accused the social network of trapping user data, like contacts and posts. Though Google has given Facebook free access to its information, Zuckerberg and company have not reciprocated, instead opting to sign a huge search deal with Bing and limit Google’s search access to Facebook information.

“Google is trying to use the leverage that it has to get as much access to the Facebook social graph (network of friends and interests) that it can, so it can provide the best search function that it can. The more data Google has access to the better its search results are going to be,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Lou Kerner.

The battle between Facebook and Google is only getting worse. Facebook continues to launch services like Places that compete with Google products. Google, for its part, is not innocent either. The company is in the advanced stages of creating its own social network that competes with Facebook.

Showing 14 comments

Cookiemonster at 10:11am 10th November 2010 Cookies are evil. They slowly invade your computer, take over and then slowly make you fat by calories by osmosis from the computer screen. Cookies are small files that are self publishing and are only designed by evil doctors in laboratories. They instantly record all data from the user psychically and transmit it to evil hackers/terrorists/tooth faries and santa claus. They are impossible to stop and every computer hides them by habit and vicious intent in folders that people never visit and purposely move them around whenever the folder is navigated to.
Ninfa Carpenter at 3:22am 10th November 2010 Facebook is not worried about Google. Facebook is a social network and Google is having problem with Buzz in legal battles. So much is going on with Google they might lose focus. The national news had Alert that the Queen Elizabeth has open a facebook to put videos of Prince Charles and Prince William and Prince Harry. If the Queen from England has a profile you know facebook is HOT!
Josh at 12:31am 10th November 2010 Its not like facebook just have access to gmail anyway. Facebook asks you, (hay do you want to import your contacts to see who else is on here that you might know.) then you say yes or no. Google and facebook are effectively arguing about protocols that allow them to ask the user if they would like to move their data from one place to another to A: get them to grow their service subscription B: make it easy for you to join and not have to manually find every one you may know.
Errol at 9:07pm 9th November 2010 @Simon If you feel that strongly about YOUR data then don't use Facebook, dumbass
@VideoTraffic_MW at 8:06pm 9th November 2010 Intense competition between google and facebook will only benefit us. Hope another start-up will give these two a run for their money.
1. Josh at 12:31am 10th November 2010 Diaspora ;)
Simon at 9:47am 9th November 2010 "...the search company is no longer giving away its data..." It's not their data, it's MY DATA! Companies like this just giving our data away without our explicit permission is already a problem. When are we going to wake up and tell them to stuff it?
1. guest at 10:48am 9th November 2010 As soon as you stop using thier services, which have cost them billions to create a user friendly and entertaining site. Pull your head out of your ass and realize this is the only way they can make money. Do you pay for G-Mail? Facebook? Your data... HA, if you dont want your data out there dont sign up and use thier services.
  1. Simon at 11:46am 9th November 2010 Actually, I was only yelling MY DATA to make a point. I don't have web mail, or a Facebook account or Twitter or any of the other trendoid social networking options we're buried with today. You are right, the only way to stop them will be for a majority to finally grasp the idea that their info should be protected now, not argued about after it's already been broadcast to the world. It's unfortunate though that with your confrontist attitude and lack of a name, nobody will ever take you seriously.
    
    Steve at 12:31am 10th November 2010 First, you weren't yelling, you were capitalizing, that is unless you actually talk as you type. I hate to inform you, but the rest of us can't hear what you say, we can only read what you write. Second, if you don't have web mail or social network account then it is NOT YOUR DATA, seems to me that your opinion is not very rooted in experience but more with imagination. I'm not exactly sure what psychological disorder you have that makes you feel buried by things things that don't physically exist, such as computer code, but I know quite a few happy people who don't use the internet, it might help your disorder to try it sometime, for the sake of us all. Third, if no personal data were ever broadcast then no one would be talking about it, data has to be leaked to start the conversation about whether is is right or wrong, and with the percentage of people who don't read the privacy and terms of service policy for things they sign up for there will always be a lag between a companies policies and the social response. Most data isn't broadcast to the world anyway, it's shared between companies who can make money from it, there is only certain data that can even damage a person's life anyway and most site don't have that data. Fourth, conformist attitude? Lack of a name? Come on, how do I even know your name is really Simon? Maybe that guy's name is guest, but it doesn't matter, were all basically anonymous here and the guy did have a good point based in logic, as opposed to the pointless opinions you have presented. If your going to personally attack someone you might not want to sound so stupid when you do it. I don't believe the author of an argument ever very much negatively affects its validity but in your case I made the exception, because you started it. Fifth, have you ever heard of cookies? It is information stored on your own computer about websites you visit and that info can be accessed by other websites. So whether you use any social sites or not, your data is still being mined. Companies can geographically locate you based on your IP, anything you have ever typed while on a website, even comments like these can be accessed and traced to the computer used. Google advertises based on your searches, all tracked through cookies. You might think that you can delete your cookies but you can't get them all. That is where the biggest personal data security flaws are, it's not with companies who obviously have our data because they are in the spotlight, it is with your own computer and the programs you use. Hell, they can even track location through all cell phones now. Is it really so bad? If I call 9-1-1 from my cell phone I kind of want emergency services to be able to know where I am so they can help me and I like having Google's ads tailored to my interests. It's all part of technological progress. One of the largest reasons for the internet's major success is all the data that is collected about the what people like and who those people are. Without targeted advertising the internet would be nothing close to what it is today. So I'm sorry you hate the foundation of the internet. Like I said, do yourself and the rest of us a favor and don't use it.
2. @JeffreyVC at 10:58am 9th November 2010 This is true. You are creating that data, but is it yours? Some might argue that by signing up, you're playing in their playground. If you build a sandcastle in a sandbox at school, do you own it?
Vladimir at 9:40am 9th November 2010 Forex for all.
Peps at 9:08am 9th November 2010 I believe people is not aware of the importance of their personal information and they are leaving others to see their own agenda and personal contacts and leaving them trafficking without any idea of the consequences. This is a matter of security and a lack of culture about it. Facebook, Google and others are becoming like gods, they know where we are, who we are, what we do, and with whom, with an asthnishing accuracy.
schpydurx at 9:35am 8th November 2010 One such site that will hurt from this decision is LinkedIn, presuming, of course, that they don't give Google data.