Now everybody needs to be GDPR compliant. This also goes for Google Analytics so that you as a company protects the data from your visitors. Online marketeers analyse a lot of data and the way consumers use their website. So it is highly important that we keep continue doing so. With the upcoming GDRP it is needed to set your Google Analytics GDPR friendly as well. The benefit for Google Analytics is that we still are able to monitor the consumers behaviour without any permission. We do have to inform them with what you do with all that information.
You need to inform them about:
- That you use GA cookies
- You need to close a data processing amendment with Google
- That the function of sharing data is turned off
- That you’ve anonymized there IP address
- That you don’t combine Google services like (AdWords and Optimize) in combination with GA cookies
You can tell your consumer about this in your privacy statement but you also need to change these settings within your Google Analytics account:n
Close your data processing amendment with Google
The first step is to close an agreement with Google. You can find this option when you go to:
- Go to Admin and then go to
- Account Settings
- Scroll down and you’ll find the data processing amendment
- Accept it
- Safe it
There is also the option for your users to op-out from Google Analytics. You can serve your website user with this plugin which was made by Google itself as well: link
Turn sharing data with Google off
When you are using Google Analytics, you are not the only one who has access to this data. The below boxes tell us that Google is able to use this data as well when you checkboxed them. A lot of website owners and online marketeers are not aware of this and it is good to uncheck these boxes to meet the GDPR requirements. The only thing you need to do is go to the same page as above is described:
- Go to Admin and then go to
- Account Settings
- Scroll down and you’ll find the data sharing settings
- Uncheck it
Anonymize your visitors IP address
IP addresses are also personal data and therefor fall under the GDPR regulations. This is why the last part of the IP address needs to be removed before Google Analytics saves this data. It is pretty easy to do so especially when you use Google tag manager. Basically you need to add an additional rule to your tracking code. This makes sure the last part of the IP address isn’t showed any more.
When you are using Google Tag manager you can change settings within the Google Analytics variable to anonymizeIp and set it to true.
Another way to do so is to add an extra rule to your Google Analytics tag within your code.
Replace the line below with the code below and then change the UA-XXXXXXXX-X code with your personal code to prevent data loss.
gtag(‘config’, ‘UA-XXXXXXXX-X’, { ‘anonymize_ip’: true });
Turn data collection for advertising features off
You are almost there. The next step is about sharing data with a third party (in this case Google) when you are using AdWords for remarketing options for example. To turn this option off you have to follow these steps:
- Go to Admin and then go to
- Account Settings
- Property settings
- Tracking info
- Data collection
- Turn off these two options
Turn user-ID off
Google can associate a person’s behavior across multiple devices and sessions by creating User IDs.
If visitors can log in to your website or they have a different way of showing who they are, there is the possibility to link behavior across multiple sessions and devices (such as laptop, tablet and smartphone). This is only allowed with the prior consent of the user (for example at the moment that they create an account on the website). It must therefore be clearly described in the privacy statement. Didn’t they give this permission? Make sure that the “Enable User IDs” function is turned off.
Disable the function by:
- Go to Admin and then go to
- Account Settings
- Property settings
- Trackinginfo
- User-ID
- Turn off these options or describe it clearly in your privacy statement that you use these ID’s and for what purpose.
Privacy-friendly and user friendly settings
If you follow the above steps you have now set you Google Analytics account fully privacy friendly. Keep in mind that these steps will influence your remarketing possibilities for example. Always check these steps with your legal counsel as well to be sure that everything is set properly.
No rights can be granted to this blog. Always check these settings with a legal counsel.