Techcrunch is reporting that Facebook has banned Google's Friend Connect from connecting to its data through its API. Facebook issued a statement that they are concerned with privacy issues surrounding the users data since there would be no way the user could tell Facebook to stop sharing information with the target website.

Of course, the user would be able to tell Google to stop sharing information with the target website. So, really, this seems much more about Facebook having control over the information than concerns about user control over the information.

This is made very interesting when you consider that a BBC investigation found a rather large loophole in Facebook that allows Facebook applications to get at profile information even if the user had set his profile to be private.

And, as Techcrunch insinuates, this banning of Google's Friend Connect may have as much to do with Facebook's release of a similar product, Facebook Connect, as it has to do with any privacy concerns.