• Fast Company et al., Tuesday, November 9, 2010 3:47 PM

Last week, in response to Facebook hoarding consumer data, Google disallowed the social network from using its data feed for Gmail contacts. The change, as Fast Company writes, was "evidence that Google is seriously worried about Facebook's increasing dominance over the Internet."

Firing back, Facebook has reportedly subverted Google's export barrier so new registrants can download -- and then upload -- a file of their Google contacts without having to leave Facebook. TechCrunch's Michael Arrington -- who last week called Google's data denial "the true beginning of data protectionism" -- likens Facebook's response to "a big middle finger."

"The drumbeat of diplomatic tension between Facebook and Google ... is growing louder by the day," writes the Guardian, adding, "Where is the undeclared war going to break out next?"

According to blogger Robert Scoble, however, the war's already over, and Facebook won. "Google has already lost its database to Facebook," he writes. "It's now posturing and doing that poorly. Google allowed the biggest identity theft migration we'll ever see in our lifetimes ... How do I sign on Techcrunch today? With my Facebook identity, not my Google one."

Meanwhile, "The losers in this are the users who will now have a tougher time getting their contacts shared between the two services," writes Geek.com.

What's more, "The unfolding of the latest bitch fight in the Nerd Wars ... does, however, show one slightly hypocritical element in the whole scheme," Fast Company notes. "While all of these firms (Facebook, Google, etc.) are perfectly happy to bandy users' data around to all and sundry, they are less-than-forthcoming when contacted by online publications and asked to comment on the situation."

Read the whole story at Fast Company et al. »