Data Protection Authority advises companies to find alternative to Google Analytics
On Wednesday, March 1, the Danish Data Protection Agency shared an update regarding the use of Google Analytics, announcing decisions for the use of analytics tools on Norwegian websites.
Preliminary conclusion that Google Analytics does not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation
This basically applies to Google Analytics 3/Universal Analytics, but they also say in the same article that they believe that Google Analytics 4 will not be able to correct the problems they have registered in the use of Google Analytics.
We will provide more information about what applies and what expectations we have for Norwegian websites when decisions are made. This may come no earlier than the end of April.
Therefore, the Danish Data Protection Agency now recommends finding new alternatives to Google Analytics that are in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.
Read the full article from the Danish Data Protection Authority here.
The way forward for Google Analytics
In line with the General Data Protection Regulation and the new decision notified by the Data Protection Authority, this may result in us having to phase out Google Analytics in the long term, replacing it with an alternative analysis tool. Therefore, we recommend that you start thinking about your needs for a new analysis tool so that we can advise you as best as possible along the way.
Alternative analysis tools for your website
It can be difficult to navigate through all the analytics tools available and what best suits your use and the purpose of the website. And how do you really know if they are GDPR friendly? At the same time, it's a good idea to think about what kind of statistics and user insights you want to collect.
We've done the research for you — these are some of the tools we recommend as an alternative to Google Analytics. To ensure that the analysis tool is GDPR friendly, it is important to know where the company is located, where the solution is operated and what data is collected.
Matomo — complete analysis tool
Matomo is one of the tools most comparable to Universal Analytics and covers most of the same data and insights you get in Google Analytics. In addition, you also get functionality for heatmaps, user recording, A/B testing and keyword ranking.
The advantage of Matomo is that you can import historical data from GA Universal Analytics, so you do not lose previous data. The tool can be operated on a dedicated server or cloud-based solution by Matomo, so you have full control over the data collected.
The tool is well suited for websites with a lot of content or online stores.
Plausible — simple and clear
This tool gives you a quick and easy overview of the traffic on your website. Have you ever opened Google Analytics, or only visited the tool a few times in the past six months? Then maybe Plausible is most applicable to you. Here you get a “one-pager” with an overview of how much traffic your page has, the most used pages, the largest traffic sources, geography and the ability to set up tracking to measure actions/events.
Best suited for small websites and businesses that only want a simple and quick overview of website traffic.
Which analysis tool is the best fit for your solution?
We've checked out and tested several analytics tools recently, including Fathom, Piwik Pro, Posthog, Siteimprove, Umami analytics and Kissmetrics — and many of these are also good options, but for the vast majority of our customers, Matomo or Plausible will be able to meet most needs. If you are not sure what will be the right analysis tool for your solution, or want to test out some other tools, we will assist you with research, installation and any hosting as needed — so that you get the best out of the tool you choose.
The price of the different tools depends on the need for functionality, where the solution will be operated and the setup of reports. If you have a digital solution with us, please contact your project manager in Increo for more information.
