Google Analytics

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Google Analytics
Google Analytics Logo 2015.png
analytics.google.com
description Web analytics
Registration Yes
owner Google LLC
status active

Google Analytics (GA) is a tracking tool of the US company Google LLC that the traffic analysis of websites used (web analytics).

The service investigates u. a. the origin of the visitors, their length of stay on individual pages as well as the use of search engines and thus allows better control of the success of advertising campaigns. Google Analytics is used by an estimated 50 - 80% of all websites and, like other web analysis programs, is problematic and controversial from a data protection point of view.

history

Google Analytics is a further development of a technology originally developed by Urchin Software Corporation . Urchin was acquired by Google in March 2005. For this reason, the method used for the analysis is also called Urchin Tracking Monitor (UTM). As a result, the software was adapted to Google, e.g. B. by linking to Google Ads . Soon Google Analytics could be used in 16 different languages. The functionality was expanded through the takeover of further IT companies. In 2013 there was a version with Universal Analytics that enabled tracking across devices.

Today, Google Analytics is available in 31 languages.

Data collected

The following data can be collected with Google Analytics:

  • Session duration - time spent on a website, it ends after 20 minutes because it is assumed that the user has not closed the page
  • Bounce Rate - If someone comes to a page and leaves it without interaction, it counts as a bounce.
  • Orders, creation of accounts
  • Viewing contact details
  • Viewing reviews
  • Playing media
  • Refresh the page
  • Add to favorites
  • Sharing content (social media)
  • Campaign tracking - analysis of the origin of the user (e.g. email , Google search )

Google Analytics also links this data to search queries and demographic data that were not collected on this website. This is partly against the data protection regulations, which can lead to warnings in the event of an incorrect data protection declaration.

Each website can decide for itself which data is collected.

criticism

An integration of the GA script opens up every possibility that ECMA script offers for Google to collect data. If the static IP address is classified as personal data, the use of the GA scripts will not be legally compliant without additional measures.

The philosopher Rainer Mühlhoff has pointed out that, due to the detailed measurement of user behavior on websites, Google Analytics transforms the Internet into a “behavioral real-time laboratory” and thus contributes to the “digital incapacitation” of users. Due to its quasi-monopoly position, Google Analytics also contributed to transforming the discipline of user experience design for web applications into a big data- based knowledge practice.

privacy

From a data protection perspective, Google Analytics is problematic and controversial. With this analysis tool, Google can create a comprehensive user profile of visitors to a website. If a Google service that requires registration is used by visitors, this user profile can also be assigned to specific people. The storage of data in the USA is also problematic, since data protection is less important than European countries.

Google's data protection statement states: “If you use Google services, our servers automatically record data that your browser sends when you visit a website. These server log files can contain your web request, the IP address, the browser type, the browser language, the date and time of your request and one or more cookies that can clearly identify your browser. "

Legal situation in Germany

This section presents the situation in Germany . Help us to describe the situation in other countries.

According to Section 12 (1) TMG, the Telemedia Act in Germany only permits the processing of personal data if the user has given his prior consent or if there is a legal authorization. By using a tool such as Google Analytics, however, the full IP address (user-related information) of the site visitor is sometimes transmitted to a third party (Google), which can counter the user's data protection. If the user has not given their prior consent, this will result in data protection problems. It has not yet been legally clarified which legal basis should allow this (see Section 12 (1) TMG). Google Analytics is a service that behaves anonymously when you visit a website. This means that the caller does not even experience this interaction with Google Analytics. It is therefore controversial whether such transmission is prohibited. There are also legal difficulties. For example, consent must be given “consciously” ( Section 13 (2) TMG).

In 2009, the state commissioner for data protection in Schleswig-Holstein came to the conclusion that the use of Google Analytics by website providers was not permitted. Google subsequently changed the functionality, so that the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information announced in September 2011 that Google Analytics may now be used subject to certain conditions.

The conditions include u. a. that the entire IP address may not be stored (code extension "anonymizeIp" removes the last 8 bits of the IP addresses) and that Google must be contractually commissioned by the operator of the website to store the data. With this code addition, a central requirement of the data protection supervisory authorities was met, although the question of the possibility of objection that is permissible under data protection law remains.

In Hesse, the use of Google Analytics by public bodies is not legally permitted.

At the beginning of 2015, the State Commissioner for Data Protection of the State of Brandenburg enforced the deactivation of Google Analytics on the public Internet pages of the Brandenburg administration for reasons of protecting personal data. According to a review by the data protection officer, 40 municipalities, offices, cities and districts had used Google Analytics for their Internet offers.

Protection of your own privacy

Due to the new data protection declaration from Google about the merging of the data of the various services, sites that use Google Analytics pose an increased risk to the user's right to informational self-determination.

The acquisition of traces of data by Google Analytics can be prevented by preventing the loading and execution of the Google Analytics script (which can also slow down the page load). This is done, for example, by blocking JavaScript (for example with the Firefox extension NoScript , Ghostery or with ad blockers ). It is also possible to block access to the Google Analytics domain google-analytics.com altogether (for example using ad blockers, inclusion in a block list offered by many routers, or using the hosts file).

Anyone who does not agree to the analysis process of the service has the option of protecting themselves with the Google Analytics opt-out , a browser add-on , published since May 25, 2010 . It is available for Internet Explorer 8 through 11, Google Chrome , Mozilla Firefox , Apple Safari and Opera .

Since the Safe Harbor Agreement was softened before the ECJ, US corporations should once again comply with the data protection regulations required for Europe.

The operators of such websites should offer data protection declarations in which reference is also made to the “browser add-on for deactivating Google Analytics”. However, these are rarely found.

Passing on the data to the website operator

At the end of 2011, due to ongoing criticism, Google decided, under certain circumstances, to no longer pass on information about a user's search query to website operators - even if they use Google Analytics. In November 2012 it became known that Google not only uses this function in exceptional cases, but that it is now filtering almost 40 percent of queries via the search engine. The expert Danny Sullivan made the behavior publicly known, there are no official statements from Google.

Spam in Google Analytics

Since the end of 2014, many Google Analytics accounts have recorded a large amount of so-called referrer spam , which affects the further processing and credibility of the data recorded. Referrer spam is bogus access by bots that virtually trigger the analytics script of a website without a visitor actually calling up this website. Google itself is already aware of this problem.

Connection to other services

In addition to the free use of Google Analytics, it can be easily linked to other Google services such as B. Google Ads or Google AdSense provided. In this way, the standard analytics data can be enriched with further information from these services. This allows additional conclusions for the optimization of z. B. Pull Google Ads. A link to the Google Search Console has also been possible since October 2011 . In addition, an app for the Android operating system has been available for some time , with which users can call up statistics from Google Analytics on the go. And since June 2012, Google has also supported the retrieval of real-time data via the application. Since October 17, 2012, real-time analysis has also supported filtered profiles.

literature

  • Timo Aden: Google Analytics - Implementation. Interpret. Benefit . 2009, Hanser Fachbuch, ISBN 978-3-446-41905-6
  • Brian Clifton: Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics . 2008, Wiley Pub., ISBN 978-0-470-25312-0
  • Thomas Kaiser: Google Analytics - Success control for websites . 2010, Franzis, ISBN 978-3-7723-6477-8
  • Markus Vollmert, Heike Lück: Google Analytics: The comprehensive manual . 2014, Galileo Computing, ISBN 978-3-8362-2731-5

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Usage of traffic analysis tools for websites W3Techs.com
  2. ↑ Google takes over Urchin Software at pressetext.de
  3. ↑ Google Analytics story. Accessed March 31, 2018 .
  4. ↑ Data interface GA. Accessed March 31, 2018 .
  5. ↑ How to get the client IP address with Javascript only 2016
  6. ↑ Use Google Analytics in compliance with data protection regulations
  7. ↑ Rainer Mühlhoff: Digital incapacitation and user experience design . In: Leviathan - Berlin journal for social science . tape 46 , no. 4 , 2018, doi : 10.5771 / 0340-0425-2018-4-551 ( philpapers.org ).
  8. ↑ Kassensturz November 11, 2008: How Google spied on Swiss people
  9. ↑ 31st activity report of the State Commissioner for Data Protection Schleswig-Holstein on Google Analytics ( Memento from December 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ Complaint-free operation of Google Analytics now possible
  11. ↑ Use Google Analytics in compliance with data protection regulations . In: data protection officer-info . April 28, 2014. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  12. ↑ Google and data protection: Google Analytics fulfills the central requirement of the data protection supervisory authorities ( Memento from March 26, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Article of the IITR from May 26, 2010.
  13. ↑ Use of Google Analytics by public bodies in Hesse is not legally permitted , page of the Hessian data protection officer, February 23, 2013.
  14. ^ Websites of Brandenburg municipalities: data protection violations stopped after review. The state commissioner for data protection and for the right to inspect files Brandenburg, January 26, 2015
  15. ↑ 16. Activity report (PDF; 1 MB) (2013) of the Saxon data protection officer, p. 122 f., LT-Drs. 5/13033
  16. ↑ tools.google.com: Browser add-ons
  17. ↑ Lars Budde: Google Analytics: Almost 40% of search traffic is now “not provided”. In: t3n magazine. November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2012 .
  18. ↑ John Müller in the Google Webmaster Central office hours hangout on July 2, 2015
  19. ↑ Andreas Floemer: Google Analytics - new Android app shows real-time traffic. In: t3n magazine. July 2, 2012, archived from the original on July 4, 2012 ; Retrieved July 2, 2012 .
  20. ↑ Google Analytics: Real Time Analytics Supports Profiles. In: Google Analytics Blog. October 17, 2012, accessed March 25, 2017 .