Friend or foe?
Facebook and Google have been arguing about who gets to know about users' friends for a while, but the war might have intensified as Google has updated its Nexus S smartphones so the contacts on the phone on longer mix in with a users' friends list on Facebook.
Google is still miffed with Facebook for not allowing API access to its user ‘friends lists' and in November it hit back by cutting off Facebook's access to Gmail contacts API, vowing not to reinstate the connection until Facebook rolled out an API like it, Tech Crunch reported.
The problem is that Facebook hasn't acted as Google wanted and now the search giant has apparently re-adjusted its Nexus S handset's contacts application via a wireless update.
The app on the handset originally displayed Google contacts alongside data of Facebook friends including phone numbers and email addresses, but it never transferred the data from Facebook (because of the lack of contacts API) and this reportedly annoyed Google greatly.
Google told the site: "We believe it is very important that users are able to control their data. For Nexus S users who downloaded the Facebook app from Android Market, Facebook contacts will no longer appear to be integrated with the Android Contacts app. Since Facebook contacts cannot be exported from the device, the appearance of integration created a false sense of data portability."
Just in case Facebook is in any doubt, Google then repeated that it wants a Facebook API that is similar to Gmail's.
"We continue to believe that reciprocity (the expectation that if information can be imported into a service it should be able to be exported) is an important step toward creating a world of true data liberation - and encourage other websites and app developers to allow users to export their contacts as well," it reportedly said.
Apparently the Nexus One will continue to let its users see contacts from Google and Facebook next to each other because the Facebook app came preloaded with the handset and Nexus S users will still be able to see Facebook data via the app, just not via the phone's contacts interface.
"It's important to note that Facebook contact data is still available in the Facebook app. We're removing special-case handling of Facebook contacts. This is about leveling the playing field for developers," Google reportedly added...so not a power struggle then.
While keeping developers in mind, there is little doubt that Google's move is a strategic one designed to make Facebook hand over user data. Facebook already has agreements with Microsoft and Yahoo that lets them put Facebook contact info into Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail so it seems deals are done on its terms.
Perhaps the search giant is worried that users will start to use Facebook to store and access contact information for friends instead of Google and handset services, and is therefore acting assertively. But simply updating the Nexus S is unlikely to rile up Facebook so much that it changes its stance on API contacts- after all it is just one Android handset and Facebook has stood firm against Google's Gmail move.
However, Google has reportedly threatened to keep the non-Facebook-friendly app on lead Android phones of the future. Watch this space.
