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GDPR doesn't regulate anonymous data. Unless you put PII in your analytics (not the default, and you really shouldn't) you won't have a problem. As a matter of

by Fradow 8y ago

GDPR doesn't regulate anonymous data. Unless you put PII in your analytics (not the default, and you really shouldn't) you won't have a problem. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure part of Google Analytics response to GDPR is "Don't put PII in there if you want to be GDPR compliant" (they are providing tools for compliance though).

Rjevski 8y ago
The problem is anonymous data is an ambiguous term, as enough randomness in the “anonymous” data can still uniquely identify that individual. Let’s take YouTube for example - I never had an account with them, yet they recommend me videos based on what I watched previously - fair enough. The creepy part is, on a totally different machine, from a different IP and country, watching just a few very specific videos (not popular at all, each maybe 2k views) suddenly brings all those suggestions over. You could argue videos watched is anonymous data, but clearly a certain, unique “series” of videos is apparently enough to identify me. There’s also no doubt Google associates that with all the other “anonymous” data they have on me (search, maps & which browsers/IPs I used) and has an extremely detailed profile of me; sure, they don’t have my name nor exact address (yet), but they can definitely tell me apart from everyone else just based on a few searches and that’s quite creepy IMO.
- vsl 8y ago
  You’re jumping to unwarranted conclusions. A more reasonable explanation is simply that the unpopular videos you watched triggered recommendations similar to them, and based only on them - and that being what you typically watch no your other computer, the result was familiar to you.
  - Rjevski 8y ago
    I’ve thought about it but no, some of the recommended videos have zero link to the other ones, the only link is my “shadow profile” or whatever Google calls it. Tell me how a video about wasp pest control (had a wasp nest issue about a year ago, that was a fun experience) has anything to do with what I usually watch which is electronics (mainly EEVBlog), car repair, etc? The “other computer” doesn’t actually exist, it was a test in an AWS VM that was only used once to prove/disprove my theory, so no way for them to have associated that computer or IP to me in advance.
codetrotter 8y ago
> As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure part of Google Analytics response to GDPR is "Don't put PII in there if you want to be GDPR compliant" Not only that, Google says they will terminate any account that puts PII in Analytics.

by Fradow 8y ago

Rjevski 8y ago

The problem is anonymous data is an ambiguous term, as enough randomness in the “anonymous” data can still uniquely identify that individual. Let’s take YouTube for example - I never had an account with them, yet they recommend me videos based on what I watched previously - fair enough. The creepy part is, on a totally different machine, from a different IP and country, watching just a few very specific videos (not popular at all, each maybe 2k views) suddenly brings all those suggestions over. You could argue videos watched is anonymous data, but clearly a certain, unique “series” of videos is apparently enough to identify me. There’s also no doubt Google associates that with all the other “anonymous” data they have on me (search, maps & which browsers/IPs I used) and has an extremely detailed profile of me; sure, they don’t have my name nor exact address (yet), but they can definitely tell me apart from everyone else just based on a few searches and that’s quite creepy IMO.

vsl 8y ago
You’re jumping to unwarranted conclusions. A more reasonable explanation is simply that the unpopular videos you watched triggered recommendations similar to them, and based only on them - and that being what you typically watch no your other computer, the result was familiar to you.
- Rjevski 8y ago
  I’ve thought about it but no, some of the recommended videos have zero link to the other ones, the only link is my “shadow profile” or whatever Google calls it. Tell me how a video about wasp pest control (had a wasp nest issue about a year ago, that was a fun experience) has anything to do with what I usually watch which is electronics (mainly EEVBlog), car repair, etc? The “other computer” doesn’t actually exist, it was a test in an AWS VM that was only used once to prove/disprove my theory, so no way for them to have associated that computer or IP to me in advance.

codetrotter 8y ago

> As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure part of Google Analytics response to GDPR is "Don't put PII in there if you want to be GDPR compliant" Not only that, Google says they will terminate any account that puts PII in Analytics.