Our Thinking

The real deal behind Google Analytics Ban in EU countries.

Banning Google Analytics in Europe may seem like a drastic measure, but there are several reasons why this could happen. One reason is that the European Union has strict data privacy laws, and Google Analytics is not fully compliant with these laws. There are several things to consider when choosing a website analytics tool. One thing to keep in mind is whether the tool complies with all applicable data privacy laws. Additionally, it is important to consider how much personal data the user does the tool collects and how easy it is to use for businesses.

Another potential reason for banning Google Analytics is that it transfers users’ personal data to the United States. Personal data from US providers (such as Google or Facebook) is required to be provided to US authorities in accordance with US surveillance laws. This is a big NO for European countries and is not in keeping with the spirit of GDPR. For businesses that are using Google Analytics, this could mean that they are inadvertently transferring their customers’ personal data to the US government. This could have serious implications for both the business and the customer, so it is something to be aware of.

Will this issue still be present with Google Analytics 4?

Not completely. In GA4, IP addresses are processed for geolocation, but they are no longer stored. If you want to use GA4 on your website, here are some things you should do: anonymize IP addresses, don’t share GA4 collected data with other Google products, and get explicit consent from end-users before using the Google Analytics cookies. You should also update your website’s privacy policy.

How to maintain privacy while using Google Analytics?

The Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on is a tool that can be used to prevent Google Analytics from collecting certain types of data. This can be useful for people who are concerned about their privacy while using Google Analytics. Additionally, businesses can anonymize the IP addresses of their website visitors to further protect their privacy.

Still, concerned about how to manage analytics and remain compliant?

If you have a website that is based in an EU country or service citizens living there, we recommend turning off Google Analytics and switching to a different solution that will better protect the privacy of your users. This suggestion is especially pertinent for websites located in Italy, Austria, Holland, and France. Otherwise, you may end up receiving heavy fines and significant damage to your brand reputation.

If you are concerned about the usage of Google Analytics and how it could impact your organization (regardless of whether you are based in the EU or not), feel free to contact us and our team of experts will be happy to help you deploy an alternative solution that gives you the data you need to monitor marketing effectiveness but still is in keeping with GDPR and data protection in general.