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At the end of January, the news came out that Google Analytics does not comply with the GDPR legislation. Thus, using this tool is illegal. For many companies, this is a cause for panic. But what exactly happened? And more importantly, what should you do now? We explain it to you as clearly as possible in this blog.
You may remember May 25, 2018. This is the day the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect. From that moment on, the same privacy legislation applies throughout the European Union (EU). One of the measures to guarantee privacy is to give permission for cookies. At the same time, there is a law in America that states that the American intelligence services may have access to this data.
The Court of Justice of the EU announces in July 2020 that this legislation in America does not comply with the GDPR. This means that it is prohibited to use Google Analytics and advertising tools from Google or Facebook, among other things. These parties respond to this with a standard contractual clause that has already been approved by the EU. Legally speaking, you can now still use the software. Solved, you would think.
In a response, Google states that they have taken measures, but that it mainly depends on the way in which the tool is used. The users of the tool decide for themselves which data they collect and which they do not. Various privacy authorities, including the Dutch AP, are now investigating whether they agree and whether the use of Google Analytics is in violation of the GDPR. In the meantime, the Norwegian and French regulators have already spoken out against the use of Google Analytics and agree with the statements of the Austrian authorities. This is not necessarily about the tool itself, but mainly about the way in which companies can use the tool.
Currently, Universal Analytics (UA) is the most widely used, but the latest version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), was introduced as early as October 2020. Last Wednesday (March 16, 2022), Google announced that UA will no longer record hits from July 1, 2023 and will therefore no longer work. Users will then have six months of access to the data in UA and time to move to GA4.
We recommend setting up GA4 as soon as possible and in any case before 1 July 2022. If necessary, it can continue to run next to UA for a while. If we then go all the way next year, you will have data in GA4 up to a year ago.
One of the differences between UA and GA4 focused on privacy is that GA4 no longer stores IP addresses. Google writes in its blog that the stop is necessary: 'in the current data privacy landscape, where users expect more privacy protection and control over their data'. Although Google does not indicate that the policy has been adjusted by the European investigations into the tool, we do assume that this is related.
We recommend that you do not make a hasty decision. We are waiting for the results of the investigation. In the meantime, we will continue to use Google Analytics for our customers and also for Tangible itself. In addition, we ensure that GA4 is already properly set up. Are you in doubt about what is the best choice for you or do you need help setting up GA4? Please send us an email, we will be happy to assist you.
Oriya