Google Plus, the world's most popular Internet search engine's new social networking platform, is fundamentally an identity service with a link around your friends, Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt said.

Speaking at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival, Mr. Schmidt said that anyone wanted to remain anonymous should not use Google Plus as it is primarily an identity service, on which the company could build other products.

He also confirmed that the new social networking platform aimed to own users' online identity.

He added that the Internet would be better if users had an accurate notion that you were a real person as a real person could be held accountable.

Speaking on the topic, Mr. Schmidt explained, "We could check them, we could give them things .bill them, you know, we could have credit cards and so forth . there are all sorts of reasons."

Google's executive chairman also said that the UK was a nation of "luvvies" rather than "boffins" as there had been a drift towards the humanities. He added that the UK's attitude towards IT needed to be changed and children's passion for science, engineering and maths should be reignited.