Is Google Getting Back at Facebook?

According to Times Techland, at Google’s Big Tent conference on Internet privacy a representative announced, “We’re not creepy enough to recognize your face.” Schmidt, Google’s representative, was referring to the application Facebook provides its users where they use a database which allows a computer to recognize and identify your face, my face, or anyone’s face within your friend list. Google explained how this application is only made possible by sorting pictures of “recognized” faces in a photographically encyclopedic database, claiming “the technology’s accuracy is surprising and very concerning.” Schmidt personally made a nudge at Facebook stating, “We’re kind of creepy, but not that creepy.”

You can’t help but wonder if Google purposely brought up these internet privacy issues to get back at Facebook for the smear campaign it planted against Google just weeks ago. If so, I think Google did the better job at humiliating Facebook, raising legitimate concerns about Facebook’s intent. It raises questions about security. Why do they need to recognize pictures with names? Although it may be convenient for the person uploading pictures since Facebook immediately tags the photos, it remains completely unnecessary and crosses new privacy boundaries. I agree with Google, the fact that such a database exists is “creepy.”