Google Analytics is installed on at least 70% of all websites on the internet. This means Google not only knows what most of the world searches for, but also tracks what people do on the majority of sites they visit after clicking search results.

This is precisely why Google offers its analytics product for free -- the access to vast quantities of personal data is far more valuable than any subscription fee. What Google does with all this data remains largely unknown, and their track record on privacy is deeply troubling.

The reach of this monopoly extends even to privacy-focused companies. Organizations like Mozilla, Tunnelbear, 1Password, and various DNS privacy services have used Google Analytics on their own websites. For most web developers, Google Analytics has simply been the default assumption in any tech stack.

Stop Feeding the Data Machine

Nobody should abandon Google's search engine in the name of privacy -- for businesses, search traffic is too valuable. But what if website owners collectively stopped letting Google track visitors once they arrive on their sites? Every website that removes Google Analytics becomes a complete data black hole from Google's perspective.

Privacy-focused analytics alternatives exist specifically to address this problem. Their trackers do not collect or share personal data, because their business model is fundamentally different from Google's.

The Legal Risk of Google Analytics

Multiple European data protection authorities have ruled Google Analytics illegal, finding that it fails to protect EU visitor data from US surveillance. So while Google Analytics is technically "free," it can cost businesses significant time and money through fines or regulatory complaints.

Privacy-respecting analytics tools address this by processing EU visitor data exclusively on EU-based servers, ensuring compliance with GDPR and the Schrems II ruling. Website owners using such tools do not need to worry about data protection law compliance.

A Different Business Model

Privacy-focused analytics companies sell software, not data. This is a fundamentally different approach.

When a company charges a fair subscription price, it can only remain profitable by maintaining customer trust. Collecting personal data or compromising visitor privacy would directly undermine the business. These companies become more successful by acting as data fiduciaries -- protecting the aggregate, anonymized website data they collect.

At some point, tracking users across the internet became the default behavior for web development. Changing this mindset is an uphill battle, but the tide is turning. More website owners are recognizing how much data they freely hand over to large technology companies. Anonymized, aggregate data showing trends can serve most business needs just as effectively as invasive personal tracking.

Taking Back the Internet

Internet users -- all of us -- deserve better. It is time for website owners to turn their sites into data black holes for Google and other surveillance-oriented tech companies. These corporations do not need to know what visitors do after arriving on your website, and you do not need personal details about individual users to run an effective, profitable business.

The paradigm of "collect all data" needs to shift toward "collect only important aggregate data, nothing personal." Simple, privacy-respecting analytics tools make this achievable.

The internet was built for people, not for tech monopolies.