The use of Google Analytics is not in accordance with the AVG. That is the verdict of the Datenschutzbehörde (DSB). This ruling by the Austrian privacy regulator could have far-reaching consequences for many websites in the European Union.
According to the DSB, when Google Analytics is used, personal data is sent to Google in the United States. This includes user identifiers, IP addresses and browser parameters.
The privacy violation complaint had been filed by the privacy organization noyb of well-known activist Max Schrems. A month after the Schrems II ruling, noyb filed 101 complaints about the sharing of personal data with Facebook and Google. The European Court of Justice annulled the Privacy Shield Treaty between the European Union and the United States in 2020. The court ruled that data shared under the treaty is insufficiently protected in the United States.
The DSB ruling is the first in a series of 101 complaints filed by noyb. Because Google Analytics is the most widely used statistics program, the ruling will have implications for virtually all EU websites. "Many websites rely on Google and send their user data to the American multinational," noyb argues. "The fact that privacy regulators can now declare US services illegal will put additional pressure on European companies and US providers to choose safe and legal options, such as hosting outside the US."
Click here for noyb's message.
