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Rafa Jimenez

Founder of SEAL Metrics. Privacy Marketer.

What Data Does Google Analytics Prohibit Collecting?

Why Use Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is more than just a tracking tool; it’s a window into understanding your audience. It provides valuable metrics such as user demographics, behavior patterns, and conversion rates, which are essential for making informed business decisions.

The Responsibility That Comes With Power

However, the power to collect data comes with ethical and legal responsibilities. Google Analytics terms of service outline what you can and cannot do, especially concerning data collection. Violating these terms can lead to severe consequences, including legal action and loss of valuable data due to account termination.

What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)?

Definition and Examples

Personally Identifiable Information, commonly known as PII, includes any data that can be used to identify an individual. Examples include:

  • Full name
  • Email addresses
  • Social security numbers
  • Physical addresses
  • Phone numbers

The Risks of Collecting PII

Sending PII to Google Analytics is strictly prohibited. Failure to adhere to this rule can result in penalties, including the suspension of your Google Analytics account. More importantly, mishandling PII can lead to a loss of customer trust, which is often irreparable.

Types of Data Google Analytics Prohibits

Email Addresses or Billing Information

Google Analytics explicitly prohibits the collection of email addresses or billing information. This kind of data is sensitive and can be used maliciously if it falls into the wrong hands.

Social Security Numbers

Social security numbers are another form of PII that Google Analytics strictly forbids. Collecting this information can lead to identity theft and other forms of fraud, posing a significant risk to users.

Other Forms of PII

Usernames, passwords, or any other data that can identify an individual are also off-limits. Even seemingly harmless information like a user’s IP address is considered PII and is therefore prohibited.

Why Adhere to Prohibiting Certain Data Collection?

Legal Consequences

Ignoring Google Analytics’ terms can lead to legal repercussions, including hefty fines and potential lawsuits. Regulatory bodies like the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) in the United States take data privacy violations very seriously.

Loss of Customer Trust

Customer trust is a valuable asset for any business.

If you’re found to be collecting prohibited data, the damage to your reputation could be long-lasting and devastating.

Account Termination

Google has a zero-tolerance policy for violations of its terms of service.

If you’re caught collecting prohibited data, your Google Analytics account could be terminated, causing a significant setback for your business.

How to Stay Compliant

Regular Audits

Regularly auditing the data you collect can help ensure that you comply with Google Analytics terms.

Use this as an opportunity to clean up any data that shouldn’t be there and to reinforce best practices within your team.

Consult Legal Advice

Legal professionals specializing in data privacy laws can provide valuable insights into what you can and cannot do. When in doubt, it’s always better to seek professional advice to ensure you’re in full compliance.

GDPR and Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

What Does GDPR Say?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union law that sets guidelines for collecting and processing personal data.

According to Article 4(1) of the GDPR, “personal data” is any information about an identifiable natural person.

This encompasses a wide range of information, from names and email addresses to online identifiers like IP addresses.

Relevant GDPR Articles

  • Article 4(1): Defines what is considered “personal data.”
  • Article 6: Lays out the lawful bases for processing personal data.
  • Article 9: Discusses the processing of special personal data categories, including sensitive data like medical information or religious beliefs.
  • Article 17: Known as the “Right to be Forgotten,” it allows individuals to request the deletion of their personal data.

How Does This Relate to Google Analytics?

While GDPR is an EU regulation, it has a global reach in practice because it affects any company that processes data from EU citizens.

This means that even if your business is located outside the EU, you must comply with GDPR if you collect data from EU citizens.

As a global tool, Google Analytics must also adhere to these regulations, reinforcing the importance of not sending PII to Google Analytics.

The Importance of Using a GDPR-Compliant Web Analytics Tool Like SEALMetrics

Why Choose a GDPR-Compliant Tool?

In a world where data breaches are increasingly common, using a GDPR-compliant web analytics tool like SEALMetrics is a legal requirement and an intelligent business decision.

Compliance ensures you treat your users’ data with the utmost care, thereby building trust and credibility.

Risk Mitigation

Failure to comply with GDPR can result in hefty fines that can cripple a small business and tarnish the reputation of larger enterprises.

SEALMetrics, being GDPR-compliant, helps mitigate these risks by ensuring that the data collection and processing align with GDPR guidelines.

Competitive Advantage

Being GDPR-compliant is also a competitive advantage. It shows that your business takes data privacy seriously, which can be a deciding factor for consumers increasingly aware of their digital rights.

Global Reach

As mentioned earlier, GDPR has a global reach.

Using a GDPR-compliant tool like SEALMetrics ensures that you can operate globally without worrying about different data protection laws in different jurisdictions.

Impact on Google Signals

Google Signals extends the capabilities of Google Analytics by providing insights into cross-device user journeys and more detailed demographics. While this feature offers valuable data, it raises concerns about PII and user privacy.

Under GDPR, collecting cross-device tracking data could be considered personal data.

Therefore, businesses using Google Signals must ensure they have consent from EU users to collect and process this data. Failure to do so could result in GDPR violations.

Google Performance Max Audience Signal and GDPR

Google Performance Max Audience Signalx aims to optimize ad performance by leveraging machine learning to analyze signals like location, time of day, and device type.

While this feature is designed to improve ad targeting, it poses GDPR compliance risks.

The machine learning algorithms could inadvertently process PII or sensitive data categories, requiring explicit user consent under GDPR.

Businesses must monitor what data is being processed to ensure compliance.

Retargeting Campaigns Under GDPR

Retargeting campaigns often rely on cookies and other tracking technologies to serve personalized ads to users who have previously visited a website.

Under GDPR, this practice is subject to strict regulations. Businesses must obtain clear and explicit user consent before collecting data for retargeting purposes.

Additionally, users should be given the option to opt out quickly. Non-compliance could lead to hefty fines and damage to the brand’s reputation.

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GDPR-Analytics

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