4 ms·

Ask HN: Privacy Concerns re: ga.js (Google Analytics)

4 points by leoh 14y ago

Hi all, Something that has bothered me for several years is he proliferation of websites that use Google Analytics. Clearly, it's an exceptionally useful tool. But is seems to me that it could be a vector for a serious breach of privacy. Let me explain: every time you log into GMail or another Google service, Google presumably logs your IP. Likewise, whenever using a site with Google Analytics (my estimate is that at least 50% of the web's most popular websites use it, if not more), Google also takes down your IP and the website visited. It seems to me that it would be trivial for Google to assemble a rather complete web history for most people with a google account (let alone history for an arbitrary IP) in this manner. Perhaps this is old news and certainly there are other more grave violations of privacy on the net and via other mediums. But I have never heard the this particular tact discussed and would love to hear others thoughts on the issue. I wish I had an established blog, in which case I would link to a post about this matter. But this seems like a decent stand-in. A short addendum: I suppose it would be possible to mitigate the effcts by blocking Google Analytics at the hosts level/by blocking JS, though either could have undesirable effects at some level. Another addendum: one thing that makes this so troubling is that it potentially works across devices as well (mobile devices, desktops, etc.)

shanelja 14y ago
Unfortunately, this is the whole point of Google Analytics, aside from the normal usage, EG, tracking the users of your websites as they go through goal funnels etc, it allows Google to build up a bigger picture. Google knows the sites you've been too, how long you were there, what you did and where you clicked, and they have this history of you for a long time (assuming you keep the cookies enabled and don't delete them) but the real question is: why do you care? It's all to easy to think of it as spying, but in the end, Google is building up this mountain of data on how you browse the internet, all this invasive data which is linked inextricably to you, and then using it to server you adverts for Shaving cream. The adverts are always going to be present on the page, it's how websites make their money, in my honest opinion, they might as well be relevant adverts.
- waxjar 14y ago
  > but the real question is: why do you care? Translate what Google does to the analog world. It might look like this: some guy following you around in every shop, every café you eat. He'll note what you buy, what you talk about, what you don't talk about. He'll read your mail to see what interests you (and your friends!). I hope this will help you answer "the real question".
  - aviraldg 14y ago
    Extending your poorly thought out analogy: in the real world, a person who uses "free" services is equivalent to a homeless person - you get almost everything for free, in exchange for other people getting to see what you're doing. If you care about privacy, you'll pay for a proper home.
    - waxjar 14y ago
      This is irrelevant. Google Analytics can be included on any website that wishes to do so. You can try not using Google services (which is nearly impossible in the first place), but there's no getting away from Google Analytics and countless similar services without installing ad-blockers and browser extensions like Ghostery.
      - aviraldg 14y ago
        It's the price you pay to subsidise others who use those services for free. I don't disagree with you, this is a horrible trend. The "race to the bottom" with apps will leave them in a similar state (Oh, wait, they're already like that - Airpush style intrusive advertising, etc) However, quite a few websites have options in their paid plans (Grooveshark comes to mind) where they disable all ads on their website for you. All we need to do is show how important privacy is to us, and to prove that there is indeed a market for paid webapps (regular webapps like Mail, RSS readers, etc)
      - jnorthrop 14y ago
        You are just fear mongering. If you are really concerned and wanted to find a solution, a simple search would turn up that Google provides a plug in to opt out of GA tracking. https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
runjake 14y ago
A good start: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/4-simple-changes-protect-your-privacy-online https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/4-simple-changes-prote... I also use NoScript whenever possible.

4 points by leoh 14y ago

shanelja 14y ago

Unfortunately, this is the whole point of Google Analytics, aside from the normal usage, EG, tracking the users of your websites as they go through goal funnels etc, it allows Google to build up a bigger picture. Google knows the sites you've been too, how long you were there, what you did and where you clicked, and they have this history of you for a long time (assuming you keep the cookies enabled and don't delete them) but the real question is: why do you care? It's all to easy to think of it as spying, but in the end, Google is building up this mountain of data on how you browse the internet, all this invasive data which is linked inextricably to you, and then using it to server you adverts for Shaving cream. The adverts are always going to be present on the page, it's how websites make their money, in my honest opinion, they might as well be relevant adverts.

waxjar 14y ago
> but the real question is: why do you care? Translate what Google does to the analog world. It might look like this: some guy following you around in every shop, every café you eat. He'll note what you buy, what you talk about, what you don't talk about. He'll read your mail to see what interests you (and your friends!). I hope this will help you answer "the real question".
- aviraldg 14y ago
  Extending your poorly thought out analogy: in the real world, a person who uses "free" services is equivalent to a homeless person - you get almost everything for free, in exchange for other people getting to see what you're doing. If you care about privacy, you'll pay for a proper home.
  - waxjar 14y ago
    This is irrelevant. Google Analytics can be included on any website that wishes to do so. You can try not using Google services (which is nearly impossible in the first place), but there's no getting away from Google Analytics and countless similar services without installing ad-blockers and browser extensions like Ghostery.
    - aviraldg 14y ago
      It's the price you pay to subsidise others who use those services for free. I don't disagree with you, this is a horrible trend. The "race to the bottom" with apps will leave them in a similar state (Oh, wait, they're already like that - Airpush style intrusive advertising, etc) However, quite a few websites have options in their paid plans (Grooveshark comes to mind) where they disable all ads on their website for you. All we need to do is show how important privacy is to us, and to prove that there is indeed a market for paid webapps (regular webapps like Mail, RSS readers, etc)
    - jnorthrop 14y ago
      You are just fear mongering. If you are really concerned and wanted to find a solution, a simple search would turn up that Google provides a plug in to opt out of GA tracking. https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

runjake 14y ago

A good start: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/4-simple-changes-protect-your-privacy-online https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/4-simple-changes-prote... I also use NoScript whenever possible.