On Wednesday, at a Manhattan launch party to promote his new book, “When Google Met WikiLeaks”, Julian Assange had plenty to say about Google and its CEO Eric Schmidt. Attending the event by video-conference from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, the WikiLeaks founder 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 claims that the search giant has links to both the US government and military. “People who use Google are the product,” Assange said, likening the search giant’s marketing to NSA’s strategy of collecting of information. Referring to Android, 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, but his 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.

Aware of the arrival of Assange’s book, Schmidt has adamantly denied his allegations. “Julian is very paranoid about things. Google never collaborated with the NSA and in fact, we’ve fought very hard against what they did,” Schmidt said. “We have taken all of our data, all of our exchanges, and we fully encrypted them so no one can get them, especially the government.”

The 42-year-old Assange recently marked two years in the embassy. Following a British court’s extradition order, Assange sought political asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London on June 19, 2012. The US has pursued a four-year-long criminal investigation of WikiLeaks.

Founded in 2006, WikiLeaks’ website hosts leaked secret government documents from around the world. But WikiLeaks is perhaps best known for hosting classified Iraq and Afghan War documents provided by US Army Private First Class Chelsea Manning. Convicted for violating the Espionage Act and dishonorably discharged, Manning is currently serving a 35-year sentence for her role.

Assange’s legal team said British taxpayers have shelled out more than $11 million for the 24-hour surveillance required to keep him from leaving the country.