Google Introduces Goo.gl URL Shortener

The Google Monster has once again inched closer to world domination with the introduction of its very own URL shortener. Somewhere Ow.ly’s little googlie-eyed cartoon owl is shaking in his boots and TinyURL may have just peed itself a tiny bit. Sure, the internet probably doesn’t—scratch that, totally doesn’t—need another web address shrinker, but who can blame the Goog for wanting in on the action?

According to Google:

Google URL Shortener at goo.gl is a service that takes long URLs and squeezes them into fewer characters to make a link that is easier to share, tweet, or email to friends. The core goals of this service are:

• Stability – ensuring that the service has very good uptime
• Security – protecting users from malware and phishing pages
• Speed – fast resolution of short URLs
  

Google URL Shortener is currently available for Google products and not for broader consumer use.