Google has been regularly sending us emails about listing our products on the Google Shopping tab. To achieve this, we would need to link our product and inventory data in Shopify to the Google Merchant Center.

The issue here is that doing this gives Google complete visibility into our inventory and pricing using structured data. This does not sit well with me. My experience with Google is that their only interest in existing is continually trying to take a bigger slice of everyone elses margin. They don’t, of course say, how they will use everyone’s data to increase their ad revenue.

Despite ignoring the emails, they keep coming and the tone of latest is more demanding. I really dislike their arrogance. The arrogance also extends to other areas like the Business Profiles they return on searches.

I read somwhere over the weekend that Google is also now doing this for car dealer inventory. It seems the company wants to have a live view of all physical inventory for sale everywhere and associated pricing.

Companies sleepwalking into giving Google this type of power is not wise. Yes, there may be short term benefits, but who knows long term?

The bottom line for me is I just don’t trust the company, just like I don’t trust Facebook.

Google has also become more agressive in recent months about trying to get us on a call about spending more on ads across the Google ad tech platform. Perhaps all is not well, or at least as comfortable as it was, in Google land.

My view is that just like I would never buy a financial services product from the company that designed it, but seek independant advice, I would also never take advice on online ad spending from a ad tech platform. And if you wonder why, well here is just one reason among many.

Justice Department sues Google

From a survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions.

This is

1. A failure of the education system. The solution is to make Personal Financial Planning a core mandatory subject in schools right up to Leaving Cert.
2. A failure of the regulatory system. The solution is twofold. First, mandatory disclosure by card issuers of total interest charged on credit cards annually and summary details on who is paying those charges. Second, a close examination of how interest charges are communicated and an evaluation of the clarity or otherwise of monthly statements.

Adding: Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We’ll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin and Corey Doctorow 📚to my reading list having listened to this interview with both authors on the Decoder Podast

The news of yet another fine today for Meta is important not so much for the size of the fine, but the legal principle at stake. My reading of the decision is that Facebook can not use personal data to provide personalised advertising in Europe. As things currently stand, it seems to have no legal basis on which to do so. Gets three months to sort it out.

Meta prohibited from use of personal data for advertisment NOYB.

[Data Protection Commission announces conclusion of two enquiries into Meta Ireland] DPC.(https://www.dataprotection.ie/en/news-media/data-protection-commission-announces-conclusion-two-inquiries-meta-ireland)