If you’re an administrator of a Google Analytics (GA) account, chances are you recently received an “Action Required” email referencing “GDPR” and several updates you need to review for your Google Analytics account. If you’re heavily entrenched in global business, you’ve likely been auditing your systems and processes for some time prepping for GDPR, but if you’re like many US-based marketers, you may be unclear what this GA notice means for you.
What’s GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR for short) is a new set of data rules created by the European Commission and scheduled to go into effect on May 25, 2018. The rules cover a range of things, such as: making it clear what data is collected (in plain language to users), how long data can be stored, and requiring that people have options for both opting in to data collection and for requesting their data be deleted.
My Company Is Based in the USA – Does GDPR Matter?
Put simply: Yes, if you receive or use data from or about people who are in the EU.
What’s Changing in Google Analytics?
Several changes are taking place with Google products, like Google Analytics, including various user consent policies, privacy controls, and more, including:
What Should I Do Next?
When it comes to general GDPR questions it’s best to consult with your legal team, because there is no one-size-fits-all answer for whether “action is required” at all, or if so what action(s) is / are required. In terms of understanding changes in Google Analytics you can email our analytics team.
For more information about the GDPR visit the European Commission’s site.
For more information from Google regarding Google Analytics (GA) and GDPR visit Google’s blog.
