The New York Timesreports that Google executives don't like to be googled. CNET News.com website recently ran an article that revealed some information about Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The article also explored some of the many ways Google is recording people's email and search habits. Google was so upset by the article that they told CNET no more interviews for a year.
The article, by Elinor Mills, a CNET staff writer, gave several examples of information about Google's chief executive, Eric E. Schmidt, that could be gleaned from the search engine. These included that his shares in the company were worth $1.5 billion, that he lived in Atherton, Calif., that he was the host of a $10,000-a-plate fund-raiser for Al Gore's presidential campaign and that he was a pilot.
After the article appeared, David Krane, Google's director of public relations, called CNET editors to complain, said Jai Singh, the editor in chief of CNETNews.com. "They were unhappy about the fact we used Schmidt's private information in our story," Mr. Singh said. "Our view is what we published was all public information, and we actually used their own product to find it."
He said Mr. Krane called back to say that Google would not speak to any reporter from CNET for a year.
In an instant-message interview, Mr. Krane said, "You can put us down for a 'no comment.' "
It will be interesting to see if Google is able to keep its promise of not talking to anyone at CNET until July, 2006. Wiredsays that Google's boycott misses the mark.
