If you’re skeptical of online reviews (and up until recently, you should have been), Google is working to renew your faith… although you may not be 100% thrilled from a privacy perspective.

In order to stamp out the sock puppet controversy — and also to ram Google Plus down your throat — the Google Play store will connect your product reviews to your G+ profile. That way, you’ll be able to ensure that they’re legit. In short, anonymity on Google Plus is dead.

It’s kind of a good news/bad news scenario, actually. On the one hand, it will restore some trust in Google Play reviews. Actually, you can do a little stalking to find out if a reviewer has similar interests and all of that, which is kinda cool.

On the other hand, if you’re into the whole privacy thing, or you’re a little shy about putting your opinions out there for the world to criticize… you may be less likely to review what you’ve bought. Might the G+ connectivity suppress reviews?

Seems like a toss-up to me. I’m sure that Google has done the research to know how/if the new feature will hamper reviews, but I’ve gotta say, I’d be slightly less likely to chip in my 2-cents… and I’m not even that much of a privacy freak.

I’ve also got to point out that Google Play needs more engagement, not less. Not that Play is a ghost town or anything, but it’s no iTunes or Amazon.

The top free book downloads look like a reading list for a high school English class (The Time Machine? Treasure Island?). That doesn’t scream thriving eCom media market hub, to me … just saying.

Once again, Google is making a firm, yet strategic push to force G+ on all of its users. The thing is, not all of us want a Google Plus account.