7 ms·

I just find this extension insulting. I need less Google code running in my browser, not more.

by parski 6y ago

ulfw 6y ago
The whole idea is ridiculous that I am supposed to install a Google extension so Google doesn't track me, which I never wanted or agreed to anyway.
- pas 6y ago
  The real question is, is it really Google that's tracking your or the site you're visiting? (The EU GDPR doesn't care, it says it's the responsibility of the site to get informed consent, which necessarily has to define what the chosen data processor does and can do with your data.) So what Google does with that data? To me it seems GA is just the free incentive to get sites to start using their "marketing platform", it's the entry point for their upsell conversion funnel to selling you Google Ads. The real thing. And GA is a great way to get you to get vendor-locked-in early.
  - Mauricebranagh 6y ago
    Have you seen the cost for other analytics platforms like adobe cost!
    - xd1936 6y ago
      https://blog.cloudflare.com/free-privacy-first-analytics-for-a-better-web/ https://blog.cloudflare.com/free-privacy-first-analytics-for... https://usefathom.com/ https://usefathom.com/ https://plausible.io/ https://plausible.io/ https://simpleanalytics.com/ https://simpleanalytics.com/ Some cost-effective alternatives off the top of my head
  - lmkg 6y ago
    Google Analytics consultant here. A plain-vanilla GA installation does not connect GA data to any of Google's data. Google is a Processor under GDPR & Service Provider under CCPA, meaning that the data "belongs" to the site owner and Google has no legal rights to use it for their own purposes. BUT A key feature of Google Analytics is integration with the rest of the Google ecosystem, including Google Ads (formerly AdWords) and Display & Video (formerly DoubleClick). It is extremely easy to connect GA data with Google's data. Configurations that give Google legal access to the data are easy and common. (If you remarket using GA, Google is not just a service provider.) From a GDPR perspective using Google Analytics is still problematic because of Schrems II. Any data transfer to a US-controlled entity is troublesome, because the EU has declared that US does not adequately safeguard user data (the main sticking point is the lack of accountability of law enforcement & intelligence agencies to request access to the data). But that's about the US, not about Google specifically.
    - iamacyborg 6y ago
      > It is extremely easy to connect GA data with Google's data. It's extremely easy and Google do an exceptionally poor job of explaining what's going on under the hood. > From a GDPR perspective using Google Analytics is still problematic because of Schrems II. That and the fact that the British regulator last year explicitly called out Analytics as not being valid without a GDPR level of sent before tracking is enabled.
SmokeyHamster 6y ago
You make an interesting point. Why would Google publish this, something that will only deprive them of revenue? They've already banned some browser extensions and Android apps that do this.
- callumlocke 6y ago
  Maybe it helps them in some way with legal compliance, or just PR (gives them an easy way to fob off people with concerns), the benefits of which would significantly outweigh the lost revenue from the miniscule percentage of Chrome users who will install this.

I just find this extension insulting. I need less Google code running in my browser, not more.

by parski 6y ago

I just find this extension insulting. I need less Google code running in my browser, not more.

ulfw 6y ago

The whole idea is ridiculous that I am supposed to install a Google extension so Google doesn't track me, which I never wanted or agreed to anyway.

pas 6y ago
The real question is, is it really Google that's tracking your or the site you're visiting? (The EU GDPR doesn't care, it says it's the responsibility of the site to get informed consent, which necessarily has to define what the chosen data processor does and can do with your data.) So what Google does with that data? To me it seems GA is just the free incentive to get sites to start using their "marketing platform", it's the entry point for their upsell conversion funnel to selling you Google Ads. The real thing. And GA is a great way to get you to get vendor-locked-in early.
- Mauricebranagh 6y ago
  Have you seen the cost for other analytics platforms like adobe cost!
  - xd1936 6y ago
    https://blog.cloudflare.com/free-privacy-first-analytics-for-a-better-web/ https://blog.cloudflare.com/free-privacy-first-analytics-for... https://usefathom.com/ https://usefathom.com/ https://plausible.io/ https://plausible.io/ https://simpleanalytics.com/ https://simpleanalytics.com/ Some cost-effective alternatives off the top of my head
- lmkg 6y ago
  Google Analytics consultant here. A plain-vanilla GA installation does not connect GA data to any of Google's data. Google is a Processor under GDPR & Service Provider under CCPA, meaning that the data "belongs" to the site owner and Google has no legal rights to use it for their own purposes. BUT A key feature of Google Analytics is integration with the rest of the Google ecosystem, including Google Ads (formerly AdWords) and Display & Video (formerly DoubleClick). It is extremely easy to connect GA data with Google's data. Configurations that give Google legal access to the data are easy and common. (If you remarket using GA, Google is not just a service provider.) From a GDPR perspective using Google Analytics is still problematic because of Schrems II. Any data transfer to a US-controlled entity is troublesome, because the EU has declared that US does not adequately safeguard user data (the main sticking point is the lack of accountability of law enforcement & intelligence agencies to request access to the data). But that's about the US, not about Google specifically.
  - iamacyborg 6y ago
    > It is extremely easy to connect GA data with Google's data. It's extremely easy and Google do an exceptionally poor job of explaining what's going on under the hood. > From a GDPR perspective using Google Analytics is still problematic because of Schrems II. That and the fact that the British regulator last year explicitly called out Analytics as not being valid without a GDPR level of sent before tracking is enabled.

SmokeyHamster 6y ago

You make an interesting point. Why would Google publish this, something that will only deprive them of revenue? They've already banned some browser extensions and Android apps that do this.

callumlocke 6y ago
Maybe it helps them in some way with legal compliance, or just PR (gives them an easy way to fob off people with concerns), the benefits of which would significantly outweigh the lost revenue from the miniscule percentage of Chrome users who will install this.