Assange dubs Google ‘privatized NSA,’ pillories Eric Schmidt

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange doesn't let the walls of the Ecuadorian embassy in London stop him from criticizing on the Google exec for allegedly collaborating with the US.

During a New York City launch event for his new book, Wikileaks' Julian Assange spoke via video link to a small crowd. CNET/CBS Interactive

NEW YORK -- The first (and so far only) meeting between Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange turned out to be a bust when it occurred in 2011.

And given what Assange had to say about Schmidt on Wednesday at a Manhattan launch party to promote his new book, "When Google Met WikiLeaks," it's unlikely he'll be able to line up a second tte--tte.

Attending the event live by videoconference from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he's been granted sanctuary, Assange called Google a "privatized NSA." The reference is to the US National Security Agency, whose surveillance practices caused an uproar last year when classified information about them was disclosed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Assange went on to claim that the search giant has links to other departments within the US government and US military.

"People who use Google are the product," Assange said, likening the search giant's collection of data for marketing purposes to what some have called the NSA's strategy of collecting as much information as it possibly can. Referring to Android, Google's mobile operating system, Assange said it's "constantly sending your location...streaming back your contacts, emails and everything you search for. It's all collected."

Despite his dislike of Google's business practices, Assange said he and Schmidt are actually "quite similar" to each other.

Schmidt, he said, was quick to grasp difficult concepts, such as how the anonymizing network Tor functions.

Schmidt's job, he said is "difficult" because he has to be "secretary of state" for Google. Assange said it was "sad" that Schmidt had to resort to insults in his interview with ABC News yesterday.

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Assange dubs Google 'privatized NSA,' pillories Eric Schmidt