Spoiler: the tool itself is not illegal, illegal is the use being made of Analytics.
Since late June, a lot of fake news and scaremongering has been going around online about whether Google Analytics, the most widely used tool for collecting data on one’s site, has become illegal. But is this really the case? We hear from many panicked companies, desperate to find an alternative to Google Analytics to adopt as soon as possible.At a time of confusion like this, we believe it is important to provide clarity to help companies find the way forward.
What happened?
What triggered all this fuss? The Italian Guarantor in June called the site under review non-compliant, following a report. How so? The data was found to be exported outside the European community. The site was using Universal Analytics (the old version that will cease to exist with July 1, 2023) without taking advantage of many of the data anonymization options currently available.
What is Google Analytics? What is it used for?
Google Analytics is the free service that Google provides to monitor your website. It is a web analytics that provides users with numerous tools and statistics. Through the measurement, collection and analysis of web data, it is possible to develop the right strategies to improve the effectiveness of one’s website.
But let’s look at the fake news that is circulating:
- Google Analytics is illegal: FALSE
Privacy Guarantor does not ban the use of Google Analytics, urges companies to take all necessary measures to ensure the legitimacy of use of the tool. With the latest version of Google Analytics (GA4), if properly configured, it can prevent the transfer of personal data out of Europe.
- All sites have 90 days to comply, after warning from Privacy Guarantor: FALSE.
Many companies think they have until September to comply before they have to divest themselves of the use of Google Analytics. The Garante has enjoined the owner of the website subject to the ruling to bring the system in line with the regulations, lest they face administrative or criminal penalties.
The legitimacy of using Analytics
What is being challenged by Google Analytics? The potential violation to the conditions of legality of data transfer outside Europe. This, however, is a common feature of hundreds (or more likely thousands) of commonly used software in web marketing and web hosting.
It is no mystery that web marketing relies to a very large extent on technologies and services hosted on servers controlled by U.S. companies: the most popular examples are Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Mailchimp… but the list is very long.
There is much more at stake than just Google Analytics, which is why it is crucial that the European Union and the United States come to an agreement, one that can be reconciled with current regulations.
100% solutions are not there yet, the situation is still in flux, and there is no need to panic. Keep an eye on our blog, we will update you as soon as there are further developments.
Do you need technical support? We are available, contact us!
Alessandro SesterWeb Project Manager
@ Starsystem IT
Pubblicato il 5 September 2022
Starsystem IT srl Business Center “Ponte Regio”, Loc. Fratte, 49 – 38057 Pergine Valsugana, Trentino, Italy