Consumer data privacy has become a hot topic across all industries and marketing tool providers. And now Google Analytics is taking a huge step towards improving customer data privacy, but this could have a huge impact on advertisers and their ability to target their audiences.
In 2023, Google will no longer log Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in its analytics platform. This means advertisers will no longer be able to see the location of visitors to their sites.
IP addresses are unique identifiers that help digital tools latvia business email list learn more about a user, such as their location, device type, and network usage. This data helps advertisers reach the right customers with the right messages.
Google said the change is due to “monumental changes in how people behave online and … how we measure that behavior.”
Impact on online advertising
Instead of cookies, Google will use an event-based traffic quality and conversion rate structure to create a data model that site managers can easily access. The good news for advertisers is that the new model will provide deeper insights across platforms such as Google Search, YouTube, Video 360, and more.
However, improving performance and making search easier for site managers is not the main goal of the changes. Google says it is all about changing privacy requirements.
Changes are happening in other areas of technology, too. Apple has made privacy-focused changes to iOS that give users more control over what mobile apps can see and record.
Google says the changes come at a time when tracking IP addresses is simply no longer necessary. Given the new technologies available and the ways we can still learn about customers without invading their privacy, the move is timely.
The Changing Privacy Landscape
The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has changed marketing tracking and analytics as we know it. And with it, many US states have begun to take a more serious stance on data privacy.
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Companies have already had to change the way they advertise and give website visitors more options for how cookies are tracked and their information is used. The changes to Google Analytics will simply continue the shift in online marketing toward new ways of working.