The Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection (IMY) has raised challenges against Google’s widely used Analytics platform, a development that has caught the attention of crypto marketers who were already critical of the tool’s usability issues. With the IMY warning of potential surveillance risks, the implications for businesses operating in the crypto market are significant.
Google Analytics recently announced the mandatory transition from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a move that has received a backlash from crypto marketers. Many express dissatisfaction with the new platform, citing a perceived decrease in usability and robustness.
Mock funerals for Universal Analytics have even been held by some crypto marketers in the hope that Google might reconsider its decision. Online marketing forums have been filled with criticisms and complaints, ranging from short and cryptic statements claiming that “no one is gonna use it” to more detailed and nuanced critiques.
The overall sentiment is clear: crypto marketers, who have relied on the platform for over a decade, feel betrayed by the changes. One crypto marketer highlighted the core issue, stating, “It is a massive PITA! Particularly if you are accustomed to UA and its visualizations. You pretty much have to pull everything out of GA4 and create reports and dashboards manually.”
Adding to the difficulties of this transition period, the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection recently issued a warning to businesses in Sweden regarding the use of Google Analytics. This warning aligns with concerns expressed by similar watchdogs in Austria, France, and Italy, and specifically highlights the risk of US government surveillance as the main reason behind the advisory.
According to the IMY, the data transferred to the US through Google’s statistics tool is considered personal data because it can be linked with other unique data that is transferred. The authority also concluded that the security measures implemented by companies are insufficient to ensure an adequate level of protection.
For businesses operating within the EU, compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is mandatory. However, the IMY’s audits revealed that the data transferred to the US via Google Analytics constituted personal data, thus breaching the GDPR.
These developments have far-reaching implications, particularly for businesses in the crypto sector. Crypto marketers heavily rely on data analytics tools like Google Analytics to gain insights about their users and evaluate the effectiveness of their campaigns. If authorities declare the tool non-compliant with the GDPR, these businesses may face the challenge of balancing data-driven decision-making with regulatory compliance, posing a potential dilemma for their operations.
