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Brin Touts Internet Freedom, But Faces FCC Fine

Sergey Brin wants everyone to forget about Google for a minute, and consider the bigger threats to the principles of openness and universal access that underpinned the creation of the Web.

As the search giant’s co-founder tells The Guardian, "I am more worried than I have been in the past ... it's scary.” In particular, Brin is alarmed by "walled-garden" restrictions, such as those upheld by Facebook and Apple, as serious threats to Internet freedom.

“There is a degree of self-interest at play here,” Business Insider notes. “Brin would like the data inside of Facebook and Apple apps accessible to Google search in order to make it a better engine. A more open Web is advatangeous to users, but it's also advantageous to Google.”

“While several of his negative comments focused on the social networking company in the wake of its recent IPO, he actually showed more general preoccupation with Web freedom,” The Next Web concedes.

Regarding Brin, however, BetaBeat remarks: “He’s campaigning for the freedom of the Internet -- just as his company faces an FCC fine.” Indeed, “The FCC just fined the company $25,000 for poor cooperation with an investigation into potential StreetView data-collection shenanigans.”

“Sergey Brin’s not a happy man,” GigaOm notes. “the Google co-founder seems to be in defensive mood.”

As for Google, Brin said the company wants to be the Web’s and its users’ friend, and not their enemy, writes The Inquirer. “He said that as part of this, Google resists requests from law enforcement authorities for cooperation as and when it can.”

"We push back a lot,” Brin tells The Guardian. “We are able to turn down a lot of these requests. We do everything possible to protect the data. If we could wave a magic wand and not be subject to U.S. law, that would be great.”

 

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