You should be aware that there are a number of data protection considerations associated with website analytics and GDPR. As a result of regulations like GDPR in the EU, tracking personally identifiable information – or PII – now requires explicit consent from the consumer.
For example, you need to get consent if you are collecting cookie data from website visitors for analysis or in order to personalize advertising experiences. Many analytics programs anonymize usernames, IP addresses, and other PII, but you still need to consent to share website visitor data anonymously with third parties, like Google Analytics, or with ad platforms.
Website Analytics and GDPR in use
In relation to GDPR, it is essential that personally identifiable information is managed correctly, and within the terms of the consent provided by your website visitors. Collecting PII as part of your analytics program, and then mismanaging the information, can risk a data breach for improper use of PII.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, your company should have a clear policy or guidelines in place detailing how the analytics data you collect is used and managed. This should include explicit opt-in visitor consent to track user visits, collect anonymous cookie data, and share anonymously with third parties like Google and Facebook for personalization of ads.