Does Google Analytics Prohibit Collecting?
What Data Does Google Analytics Prohibit Collecting?, Google Analytics prohibits the collection and processing of personally identifiable information (PII). This is because PII can be used to identify individual users.
This is done for security and regulatory compliance reasons. It also reduces the risk of attackers learning how a user uses a site. Abusers will be unable to access billing or financial information.[1]
What Google Considers PII
If you’re using Google Analytics on your website, it’s important to understand what data Google considers PII. This is because some types of data are prohibited from being sent to Google Analytics, and can cause a lot of problems for your site.
Generally, Google considers anything that can be used to identify an individual to be PII, and it doesn’t allow you to collect any of this information. This includes things like IP addresses, usernames, passwords, and any other form of PII that you could use to track users.
The best way to ensure that your Google Analytics setup doesn’t collect any PII is to make sure that no data that can be used to identify an individual is being sent. This means that you need to check every element or page on your website that could be used for tracking PII and adjust them accordingly.[2]
This can be done by changing the form method from GET to POST, or encrypting the request values that come through with PII if possible. If you’re not able to do this, then the most effective solution is probably to simply disable tracking for this element in Google Analytics.
If you are unsure about what data is considered PII or how to avoid sending it, it’s best to speak with your IT team or web development team. These people will know exactly what’s happening on your site and can help you implement a solution that prevents PII from being sent to Google Analytics.[3]
You can also try to find out more about the laws in your country or area, which may have different guidelines for what type of data is allowed to be collected. This can help you make sure that your Google Analytics setup is fully compliant with all applicable laws and regulations.
PII That Google Excludes
Google Analytics prohibits the collection of PII, which includes any information that can be used to identify a person. It does this to prevent data leakage and protect users from being identified by attackers who are attempting to learn how a user uses a website or app. It also avoids PII from being shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
This means that Google Analytics is not able to collect PII without a data request from the site or app that’s submitting the information. PII is commonly passed through URL strings that are sent to Google Analytics when a user submits a form or utilizes a search feature on your site.[4]
To avoid PII getting into your GA data, you can either exclude the query parameters from the tracked URL or apply a UA filter that removes all fields that contain PII. This is the preferred method of screening PII in UA, but it does require identifying all offending fields upfront to seed your blocklist.
PII can also get into your GA data unintentionally, which is why it’s important to take the necessary steps to exclude it from your account. This includes checking your content reports for query parameters that contain PII and making sure to exclude them in any other areas that aren’t directly related to the content of the site or app.
If you’re a GTM user, there are other options for excluding PII from your UA data, but they also require that you identify all of the offending fields and set them up with their own dedicated GTM variables. In addition, you may want to create a more permanent solution by encrypting the request values that are sending PII through your server or removing them entirely from the URLs that are sending them.
Why Does Google Analytics Prohibit Collecting PII?
Google’s terms of service, privacy policies, contracts, and other documents make it clear that you are not allowed to send any Personal Identifiable Information (PII) to Google Analytics. PII includes things like email addresses, names, and phone numbers.[5]
This is why Google’s data collection features are designed to avoid collecting PII. If you send PII to Google Analytics, you risk having your account suspended and other legal consequences.
While you can use view filters to remove PII from your data, it is better to avoid sending PII at all costs. Keeping PII out of your Google Analytics data is important for many reasons, but primarily because it is against the Terms of Service.
Aside from the fact that it is against the Terms of Service, sending PII to Google Analytics can also cause problems with your website’s security. This is especially true if you have sensitive information on your site.[6]
In many cases, PII gets into Google Analytics accidentally. It often happens when users submit a form on your site or use a search feature. In those cases, the submitted data might get appended in query parameters on the form submission request URL.
If you want to prevent this from happening, you need to check all the URL strings that are being used in your Google Analytics tracking. Then, you can seed your UA blocklist with these URL parameters to prevent them from being sent to Google Analytics.
In addition, you need to review your PII consent messaging to ensure that it is legally compliant. If it is not, you need to change it. You can also use the User Deletion API in Google Analytics to comply with the right of a person to be forgotten.[7]
How To Avoid Sending PII
One of the more challenging aspects of implementing Google Analytics is ensuring that you don’t end up with some of the more sensitive data in your reports. This includes personal identifiable information (PII) that could be used to identify you or your clients. The good news is that there are many ways to mitigate this risk.
The most obvious way is to encrypt the request values before sending them on their merry way to GA. This may be the most time consuming approach, but it is the best way to safeguard privacy and data integrity for the long term.
Another option is to change the way that PII is submitted to your site. This is a more difficult task, but one that can be accomplished with a little bit of patience and a lot of help from your web development team.[8]
Finally, you can try to remove the PII from your URLs entirely. This isn’t necessarily the cheapest solution, but it can be the most effective, and it will be most appreciated by your users.
If you are looking for the best possible solution to your PII problem, we would be happy to help! Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you. Our team of experienced analysts is always on hand to give you the best advice possible on your next project. We look forward to hearing from you! The Best of Luck! – Michael G., Director of Analytics Services & Technology! We’re happy to help you get the most out of your investment in Google Analytics.
Personal Data Entered By Users
When users use Google analytics, they enter a variety of personal data including name, email address, phone number, and other details. These data are considered PII and are prohibited by Google’s terms of service. This information can be used for a variety of purposes, but it can also be harmful to a person’s privacy and security.[9]
Google’s terms of service prohibit the collection of PII, and there are some ways that you can avoid sending it to Google. The main reason that this is necessary is to protect the privacy of users and reduce the risk of data leakage. Another reason is to comply with regulatory compliance laws.
If you’re not sure how to get your website up and running without collecting PII, it may be best to hire a professional SEO agency to do the work for you. They will be able to ensure that your site is compliant with all of the relevant privacy and data protection laws. They can also help you find any conversion leaks that might be happening on your site.
Finally, you should make sure that you are not importing personal data from the European Union (EU) into the United States (US). This happened to one website in Austria recently, and it was found to be in violation of the GDPR by the Austrian Data Protection Authority. This is a very important case to be aware of, so you should take the time to check the law in all of the places that your website services and make sure that your use of Google Analytics is in compliance with these laws as well.[10]
How to Avoid Collecting PII in Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you understand your website’s visitors and optimize your online marketing campaigns. However, there are some data points that Google prohibits collecting in order to protect your users’ privacy. Luckily, there are steps you can take to avoid violating the terms of service and comply with the company’s privacy policies.
First, you need to ensure that you don’t collect PII in your Google Analytics account. This includes e-mail addresses, name, and other information that can reveal the identity of an individual.
If you find that you’re collecting PII in your Google Analytics account, it’s essential to remove it as soon as possible. If you don’t delete it, your account could be shut down and all of your data deleted permanently.
One way to do this is to create a custom task that works in conjunction with the Google Tag Manager (GTM) and implement a regular expression that checks for PII. GTM guru Simo has created a custom task that allows you to add this filter to any tag on your site that may capture PII in its payload.
Once you have implemented this filter, it will search for any value that matches the Regular Expression and will replace it with a redacted value. This will remove any PII that’s in the payload and you’ll know you’re complying with Google’s privacy policy.[11]
PII isn’t limited to email address; it can also include physical addresses, phone numbers, and credit card information. If you are collecting PII in your Google Analytics account, you need to make sure that you have a privacy policy that explains what you’re collecting, how you’re using it, and how you’re storing it.
You should also check to see if any of the data you’re collecting in your Google Analytics account is subject to any privacy laws. Depending on where your site is located and what type of audience you are targeting, there are different regulations that could apply to the types of data you’re collecting in your account.
For example, if you’re using IP addresses to identify specific users in your analytics reports, the EU General Data Protection Regulation act (GDPR) is more strict on the use of this type of data. If you are unsure whether or not your data is subject to any of these privacy laws, it’s best to contact your legal team for more information.
The Best Google Analytics Alternative
Google Analytics is one of the most popular web analytics tools on the market, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be your only option. With the right alternative, you can save time and money while still keeping your data privacy protected.
In addition, many websites that are based in the US and Europe need to comply with GDPR, so it’s important to choose an alternative that supports these requirements. These alternatives will provide you with tools that help you meet these regulations and avoid the risk of a fine from a government agency.
For example, Mixpanel offers a range of features that help you understand your users better. Its dashboards allow you to see their actions on the site, as well as compare free and paid users.[12]
You can also find out which countries they come from and what pages they’ve visited, as well as how long they stay on your site and how often they return. Plus, you can track customer behavior across multiple devices and channels to improve your product offerings.
Another popular tool is Plausible, which has an easy-to-use interface that enables you to view your website traffic and insights in just one place. It’s a great option for website owners who value their privacy and want a fast, simple solution to get the insights they need without being tempted by invasive tracking.
It’s a lightweight script that runs on top of your current Google Analytics account, so it’s perfect for small business owners and solopreneurs who don’t want to pay for an expensive analytics solution. It’s also completely open-source so it can be used by anyone who wants to learn more about analytics.
Matomo, which was previously Piwik, is a powerful Google Analytics alternative that doesn’t sample your data like Google Analytics does. This means you can be confident that your data is 100 percent accurate and impactful for your business.[13]
Clicky is another good choice for webmasters who prefer a simpler alternative to Google Analytics. Its software is used on over 1 million sites, and it offers heatmaps and real-time reporting so you can easily monitor your site’s performance.
