Google's Problems in Germany
Remember the uproar when Google accidentally collected and stored private data via its Street View service? Germany didn’t take such a kind view of what Google claimed to be an error with its wifi systems - not surprising since it has incredibly strict privacy laws. Some of the strictest in the world, in fact.
As such, Germany has decided to clamp down on those businesses within its borders that use Google Analytics. The issue stems from the fact that Google collects the full IP of those who use its software, even if anonymity has been requested. That information then heads over to the United States to be processed, which some in the country believe to be an invasion of privacy.
Companies caught using Google Analytics are likely to be fined, though the reality is that, legally, Google isn’t liable under any existing laws. It’ll certainly be awkward for German companies who have invested heavily in a search marketing campaign – how on earth are they going to get information back about how their campaign is performing if accessing traffic information is deemed illegal on the world’s most popular search engine? A local paper quoted Johannes Caspar, the commissioner for data protection who is based in Hamburg, as saying: "We must clearly say: What Google offers is not enough."
From a privacy point of view maybe, but from our experiences in SEO Google Analytics offers more than enough to help people decipher what parts of their search campaign are working and what parts need improvement. We think it’s an incredibly intricate service that offers fascinating insights into the behaviour of your traffic, and gives greater scope to target new, unique areas such as pay per click management.
But with Germany valuing citizen privacy so highly, it’s looking increasingly likely that Google Analytics will become a thing of the past for companies when it comes to internet marketing unless a compromise can be reached.
