Google's co-founder says views on Apple, Facebook threatening web freedom 'distorted'

London, Apr 19 (ANI): Search giant Google's co-founder Sergey Brin has said his remarks that Internet walled gardens of firms like Apple and Facebook are threatening web freedom, have been 'distorted'.

Brin, who made the comments in an interview with The Guardian earlier this week, said in a post on Google+, that his views were "distorted" in "a summary of a long conversation".

Earlier Brin slammed both Google rivals, saying the openness of the Internet is threatened more than ever before by a combination of governments increasingly trying to control access, the entertainment industry cracking down on piracy, and the rise of 'restrictive' companies such as Facebook and Apple, which tightly control access to their data sets.

Brin, however, now sought to reposition the importance the threat that Facebook and Apple's walled gardens pose to the openness of the web, The Telegraph reports.

According to the paper, instead of expanding on his criticisms of Apple and Google, Brin backtracked and duly praised both companies.

"Moreover, I have much admiration for two of the companies we discussed - Apple and Facebook. I have always admired Apple's products. In fact, I am writing this post on an iMac and using an Apple keyboard I have cherished for the past seven years," he wrote.

"Likewise, Facebook has helped to connect hundreds of millions of people, has been a key tool for political expression and has been instrumental to the Arab Spring. Both have made key contributions to the free flow of information around the world," he added. (ANI)