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Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

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Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#41

Post by raviparikh »

nwellnhof wrote: post #30

What's really puzzling is that Google Analytics never got banned because of antitrust laws. It's the most obvious example of predatory pricing I've ever seen. How is a smaller company supposed to compete against a free product?

I co-founded a company called Heap that competed against Google Analytics and we were quite successful. Amplitude, Mixpanel, and others have also done so. GA’s free pricing was not really a big issue for us and customers were very willing to pay 6- and 7-figures for a differentiated quality product.

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#42

Post by olalonde »

I wish GDPR compliance would have been opt-in. For example, a GDPR compliant website could have sent a custom header indicating compliance, which the browser could have displayed in the address bar (a bit like HTTPS). Consumers would then have been free make the decision to not use websites which aren't GDPR compliant. Consumers who are more concerned about privacy could have set their browser to automatically block any non GDPR compliant website.

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#43

Post by eropple »

olalonde wrote: post #42

I wish GDPR compliance would have been opt-in. For example, a GDPR compliant website could have sent a custom header indicating compliance, which the browser could have displayed in the address bar (a bit like HTTPS). Consumers would then have been free make the decision to not use websites which aren't GDPR compliant. Consumers who are more concerned about privacy could have set their browser to automatically block…

> Consumers who are more concerned about privacy could have set their browser to automatically block any non GDPR compliant website.

It may not be your intent, but defaults matter and what you're wishing for here is de-facto scuttling of the GDPR.

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#44

Post by nisegami »

humanistbot wrote: post #11
V__ wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> meaning that Google itself does not violate GDPR, but only the websites that use it. This is so baffling to me. Google has subsidiaries in the EU. The fact that it's ok to give a product to a EU client which can't be used in accordance with the law, and the client is responsible, is just idiotic.

To be compliant, Google can just set up data centers specific to GA in one of those EU subsidiaries, so GA admins can choose to have their visitors' data stored only in an EU data center (and promise to not transfer that data to the US). This wouldn't be that hard to do.

It really makes no difference where the data is stored once it's accessible by a US company:

"The CLOUD Act primarily amends the Stored Communications Act (SCA) of 1986 to allow federal law enforcement to compel U.S.-based technology companies via warrant or subpoena to provide requested data stored on servers regardless of whether the data are stored in the U.S. or on foreign soil."

from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CLOUD_Act

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#46

Post by closewith »

olalonde wrote: post #42

I wish GDPR compliance would have been opt-in. For example, a GDPR compliant website could have sent a custom header indicating compliance, which the browser could have displayed in the address bar (a bit like HTTPS). Consumers would then have been free make the decision to not use websites which aren't GDPR compliant. Consumers who are more concerned about privacy could have set their browser to automatically block…

Bizarre idea. Should websites be allowed to opt out of anti-fraud legislation? Anti-money laundering? Human rights protections?

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#47

Post by olalonde »

eropple wrote: post #43
olalonde wrote: post #42

I wish GDPR compliance would have been opt-in. For example, a GDPR compliant website could have sent a custom header indicating compliance, which the browser could have displayed in the address bar (a bit like HTTPS). Consumers would then have been free make the decision to not use websites which aren't GDPR compliant. Consumers who are more concerned about privacy could have set their browser to automatically block…

> Consumers who are more concerned about privacy could have set their browser to automatically block any non GDPR compliant website. It may not be your intent, but defaults matter and what you're wishing for here is de-facto scuttling of the GDPR.

Are you implying that the vast majority of consumers aren't concerned with their privacy and would keep using GDPR-compliant websites? If that's the case, isn't the regulation somewhat against the spirit of democracy?

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#48

Post by reaperducer »

The last time I checked, the Google Analytics' Terms of Service explicitly prohibited its use on web sites involving healthcare companies.

That gives you an indication of how invasive it is — that even Google doesn't want to handle the personal information, because it can't be made HIPAA-safe.

Naturally, the majority of healthcare web sites use Google Analytics, because nobody ever reads the Terms of Service.

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#49

Post by gostsamo »

tempestn wrote: post #32
gostsamo wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, they can't as far as I get it. The american cloud act entitles US law enforcement to serve orders to US companies and their foreign branches. So, if you are american with a company in the EU, the important part is that you are an american, not that the company is in a foreign jurisdiction.

Perhaps Google could license a third party in the EU to host analytics for EU customers?

This is an option. I saw somewhere a news that they might license the entire GCloud to a French provider but I can't remember where and when.

Re: Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

#50

Post by reaperducer »

tantalor wrote: post #38
nwellnhof wrote: post #30

What's really puzzling is that Google Analytics never got banned because of antitrust laws. It's the most obvious example of predatory pricing I've ever seen. How is a smaller company supposed to compete against a free product?

Lots of ways? Better features, better support, better performance. If you can't beat the free offering, then go home.

If you can't beat the free offering, then go home.

In the real world of physical goods, there are laws against this. But Google's a tech company, so anything goes.

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