A growing number of websites are using Google Analytics site to track visitors to their sites, but posts on German websites and magazines are suggesting that the country believes Googles service to be breaking German law and may look to seek damages from the company.
Google Analytics is a website owners dream. It provides far more detailed stats than the vast majority of inbuilt stat programs and it displays them in a more visual and accessible way. It even uses overlays so you can see exactly where visitors have been clicking, how long they’ve been spending on each page and what they’ve been up to.
This data can allow business to tailor their page to the needs of their clients, and best of all, it’s free.
However, German officials believe that the level of data Google collects from visitors could be used to profile them using Analytics. They are also concerned about the level of personal data being sent out by Google. Privacy protection groups in Germany have already voiced their concerns over analytics before but now officials are claiming the site is actually illegal.
Under German law, data that Google sends to its US servers shouldn’t be leaving the country, German officials claim. However, Google believe that it is protected under the Safe Harbour Treaty between the EU and the states. One German lawyer believes Google could be fined up to $75,000 for each website.
Around 13% of people with .de addresses are using Google Analytics on their sites, including some of the company’s largest media corporations and political parties.
Perhaps this is one time when common sense should prevail?!
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