{"id":3427,"date":"2024-04-30T03:35:50","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T02:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microanalytics.io\/articles\/?p=3427"},"modified":"2024-05-29T11:29:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T10:29:51","slug":"gdpr-in-web-analytics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microanalytics.io\/articles\/gdpr-in-web-analytics\/","title":{"rendered":"GDPR and Web Analytics: Choosing Tools That Protect User Privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR<\/a>) enforces penalties on non-compliant organisations. 20 million euros or 4% of annual turnover. Yes, you read that right. That\u2019s how much a business is fined if they don\u2019t comply with the GDPR guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But, wait! How does that concern you, you may ask? \u201cI neither have a business that big nor it\u2019s located in the European Union (EU, the region where GDPR is applicable)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, here is the thing. For a business to be liable under GDPR compliance, it need not be physically situated in the EU. Online data safety and security compliances, like GDPR, are the reasons why search engines decided to do away with third-party cookies, opening doors to cookieless future impact<\/a>. The primary goal of GDPR is to give individuals more control over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying regulations within the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some key principles and provisions of GDPR include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is all about getting the green light from individuals before you start gathering and tinkering with their personal data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not just a nod of the head; it’s a clear, affirmative “yes” that lets them know exactly what they’re signing up for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of it like the bouncer at the club \u2013 no entry without the right ID, and in this case, no data collection without explicit permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Data breach notification is like sounding the alarm when things go awry in the data world. When there’s a breach, you have a responsibility to blow the whistle to the right authorities and anyone who might’ve been hit by the fallout, like your website users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not just about fixing the leak; it’s about owning up to it and letting everyone know what’s going on \u2013 pronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Timing is crucial here; there’s no sitting on your hands when it comes to data breaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The right to access is like your users having a backstage pass to their own personal data concert. They can ask you, the publisher, for a peek behind the curtain to see what personal data you\u2019re holding onto and how you\u2019re using it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not just about knowing what’s in the file cabinet; it’s about understanding the whole playlist \u2013 from how the data was collected to what it’s being used for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The right to be forgotten is like your users hitting the reset button on their personal data. Under certain conditions, they can ask you to wipe their personal data clean from their records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s not just about tidying up; it’s about giving them the power to hit refresh on their digital footprint. So, if their data has served its purpose or they are just ready to move on, this right lets them clean house and start fresh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This entitles your users to obtain their personal data in a format that is organised, widely recognized, and easily processed by machines, enabling them to transfer this data to another entity in control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is like them packing up their digital suitcase and taking your personal data on a journey. So, whether you’re switching platforms or just want to keep a backup, this right ensures that your data goes wherever you do, hassle-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a publisher, you are required to implement measures, like data masking techniques<\/a> such as IP anonymization<\/a>, to ensure that data protection is built into their products and services from the outset and that only necessary personal data is processed<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, let\u2019s understand how the above key principles and provisions of GDPR play out in web analytics using a hypothetical scenario that establishes the whole cycle right from when a user lands on your website till they leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine a user. Let’s call her Sarah. She lands on your website to shop for clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As soon as Sarah visits your website, she sees a banner\/pop-up explicitly informing her about the use of cookies for tracking and analytics purposes and all other info that would be collected because of her use of the website, especially when it comes to tracking and storing stuff for browser fingerprints*.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The website requests her consent to proceed with data collection and processing. Sarah provides clear and affirmative consent by clicking on the “Accept” button. To understand more about cookie consent management<\/a>, read the other article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n *Note: Fingerprinting GDPR is a much-discussed topic. Here, browsers utilise a multitude of APIs to capture diverse aspects of the user, their device, and their interactions, consolidating them into a digital fingerprint, also known as a “hash.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These penalties may amount to a maximum of 20 million euros or 4% of the company’s global turnover from the previous fiscal year, whichever is greater.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy You Should be Worried About GDPR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If your website renders services that are used by the natural citizens of the EU, then you must adhere to the GDPR.
Now, hold on a second. What if you just own, let\u2019s say, a blog? You don\u2019t sell anything. You are not asking for any major details other than users\u2019 emails. Do you still need to be worried about the GDPR?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to them, a once \u201cinfo-rich\u201d analytics landscape has now turned into \u201cprivacy-focused web analytics\u201d in the last few years.
But even if you are not a big-timer like Google or other search engines, you should be aware of GDPR and its consequences for two major reasons.
First, EU citizens are deeply concerned about their online safety and security, as per a Fundamental Rights Survey Report<\/a> published back in 2020 by FRA<\/a>.
They care about how their data is shared, how much of it is shared, who can leverage it, etc.
So, if a EU member visits your website to read through the golden wisdom that you so lovingly share with your blog members, they would be curious to know if your data collection practices are GDPR compliant or not.
Secondly, no matter the kind of online services you provide, be it a blog, ecommerce, advice on financial management, or anything else, you must be using some kind of web analytics tool to collect and analyse user behaviour on your website, aren\u2019t you?
No? In that case, you first need to go through this article on real-time traffic analysis<\/a> to understand what you are missing out on.
If yes, then GDPR mandates that your choice of web analytics platform should adhere to its guidelines while collecting, storing, and analysing that data.
In a nutshell, GDPR in web analytics and other operations is no more choice. Because this is a global world, and your online presence is bound to be graced by someone from the European part of the world every now and then.
So it\u2019s better to be safe than sorry.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGDPR in Web Analytics: How They Relate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Consent Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Data Breach Notification<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Right to Access<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Right to be Forgotten<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Data Portability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Privacy by Design and Default<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Understanding Principles and Provisions of GDPR Using a Hypothetical Scenario<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. User Interaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Consent Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n