zlacker

Yes it has, and the sharing of site-visitor data with google on sites all over the web is something to be concerned about IMHO.

However, again IMHO, tracking casual web use is a different class of data to my interactions with my government, and I very much resent those being sent to foreign companies and (by inference) foreign powers, however benign and friendly our relationship is.

>>Nursie+(OP)
Let's not forget. Google is an international company, not "foreign". Google has servers and offices in the UK.

If you read the first point, it says "Start with needs". They need to be relevant and appear in Google. Google Analytics is simply a tool that helps them do that.

>>jpswad+23
>> Let's not forget. Google is an international company, not "foreign".

No, it's an American company, subject to the whims of the US government.

>> Google has servers and offices in the UK.

Sure does. I have no idea where they process the data though and I doubt the gov.uk folks have. If they did have a guarantee that the data wasn't ever going to leave the UK then maybe they could say so?

>> If you read the first point, it says "Start with needs". They need to be relevant and appear in Google. Google Analytics is simply a tool that helps them do that.

Err, no, google analytics records and transmits site interaction data.