Twitter Upset with Google

Twitter is upset with Google over Social Search

Google today announced their social search feature designed to combine both traditional search algorithms with social media content from Google+ and Picasa.  While these features look like a good benefit to end users, there is definitely one company that is not pleased with their actions.  Surprisingly, it’s not Facebook; rather it’s Twitter who’s upset with Google.  Here’s what the social media giant had to say (in more than 140 characters):

For years, people have relied on Google to deliver the most relevant results anytime they wanted to find something on the Internet.

Often, they want to know more about world events and breaking news. Twitter has emerged as a vital source of this real-time information, with more than 100 million users sending 250 million Tweets every day on virtually every topic. As we’ve seen time and time again, news breaks first on Twitter; as a result, Twitter accounts and Tweets are often the most relevant results.

We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone. We think that’s bad for people, publishers, news organizations and Twitter users. – Matt Graves, Twitter Spokesperson

Google’s Response to Twitter on Social Search

Apparently Twitter believes that Google is abusing its status as a monopoly and calling for anti-trust charges to be levied against Google.

Just to be fair, here’s Google’s response to Twitter’s response to Google’s announcement about Social Search. Naturally, this was posted to Google+:

We are a bit surprised by Twitter’s comments about Search plus Your World, because they chose not to renew their agreement with us last summer (http://goo.gl/chKwi), and since then we have observed their rel=nofollow instructions.

As far as I know, this is the first time that Google (or Twitter) has publicly given any details as to why the tweet search deal was not renewed — “they chose not to renew their agreement with us”, which reads suspiciously like “screw you, Twitter”.

What do you think of the new Google Social Search and Twitters’ response?  Who is right and who is wrong in this argument?  Leave a comment below and let us know.