Google Pulls A Microsoft

So Google, the company that does no evil, seems to be learning a few tricks from the evil empire of Microsoft. With the release of Google Checkout, Google have effectively implemented Microsoft’s failed passport initiative but with a purchasing spin. Most of the similarities I’ve seen compare it to PayPal1, but my first impression was that this is single sign-on for web stores and that’s more along the lines of passport than PayPal.

PayPal is set up as a replacement for banks and credit cards on the web, allowing it to theoretically help prevent fraud2 and allow micropayments. From the brief impression I have of Google Checkout, it appears to be more about allowing you to use your credit card on the web more easily via single sign on.

So now, Google knows what you search for, what email you get, who you chat with about what and when, what meetings you’ve got and what your plans are for the weekend, it’s running your local soccer Mum’s support group mailing list, publishing your blog, managing your photos, searching and indexing every file on your computer and every web page your visit and it wants to know your credit card number, all your personal details and everything you buy. Not all of that information is submitted back to Google, but it is a little scary at how quickly and how much Google is invading our personal lives. Then again, anyone’s who bought a Mac is probably in the same situation with Apple. Microsoft, RedHat and Debian are probably in similar situations, given that the OS controls your computer so even if the apps you use aren’t from the same company, the OS still knows all.

Perhaps more interesting though, is the tie-in between Google Checkout and Google Adwords. Adwords are a huge success for Google, so anything they release that can leverage off that success has a tremendous advantage in the market place – just like Microsoft’s integration of IE into Windows gave it a huge advantage. If Google can get enough exposure for Google Checkout and convince the average user that it’s safe and easy to use, it will become almost essential to use Google Checkout if you plan to advertise with Adwords. There is one important difference between Microsoft and Google though, Microsoft is a convicted monopolist and Google isn’t. Leveraging your monopoly to gain a foothold in another market is illegal, leveraging a popular product to do the same thing isn’t.

All that said, I’m not sure Google Checkout is evil, it seems like a good idea and if you’re paying with credit card you clearly don’t care if some big company knows all your purchases anyway so it will probably make life easier. Keep an eye-out for one-click patent infringement lawsuits in the future and a whole lot of complaining from companies who are “forced” to use Google Checkout or their AdWords will be less effective, but it’s probably not a bad thing for users who just want to buy stuff on the net. Also keep an eye out for Google to extend their single sign-on scheme beyond just purchasing and into more generic identity management, most likely one area at a time rather than a full on assault at single sign-on like Passport was.

 

Update: And of course now that I finish reading through the morning RSS, it seems Google is offering a single sign-on type general service, focused at giving web-apps controlled access to a user's data stored in a Google service. (via O'Reilly Radar3)

1 – Which some people consider more evil than Microsoft anyway↩

2 – How successful it is at this is really quite debatable, given that to steal someone's paypal account you just need their username and password↩

3 – And let me take a side-swipe at FeedBurner for obnoxious referrer links while I'm at it.↩