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