Google is seriously protecting the privacy of the mysterious barge it is building in the San Francisco Bay by asking government officials to sign confidentiality agreements.
Barry Bena, a U.S Coast Guard spokesperson, told Reuters that at least one of their employees and an inspector from a Calif. government agency were both asked to sign confidentiality agreements. The technology company wants to make sure no information about the barge will be revealed to the public or to anyone.
The mysterious barge floating in between San Francisco and Oakland is a former military base and is now being renovated. There were antennas visible on top of the barge and almost half of it is covered with scaffolding.
Different rumors emerged about the mysterious barge. CNET speculated that it may be a floating data center including the fact that Google has secured a patent of a "water-based data center" published in 2009. According to the patent, the system will be powered by an electrical generator which gets energy from the motion of water. Computers will be built in the land before they are moved to the floating data center which can travel in different areas where there is a need of computing power distribution.
CBS sources, however, said that it will be a floating showroom with party decks that will retail Google Glass and other upcoming gadgets.
Google declined to confirm anything, even its affiliation to the barge which is registered as Buy and Large as the company. CNET previously reported that it may be a fictional company and Google is behind it. Even the U.S Coast Guards wouldn't want to give a hint.
"Regardless of the company or entity involved, the Coast Guard has an obligation to protect sensitive proprietary information, as a company's competitive posture and business interests depend on it," Coast Guard Lt. Anna Dixon said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
Aside from the mysterious barge in San Francisco Bay, there is another similar barge spotted in Portland, Maine reportedly registered under Buy and Large too.
