By announcing the elimination of IP address logging on Google Analytics, the tech titan is doubling down on its focus on consumer data privacy. While some applaud the move, other see it as a headache for advertisers and another nail in the coffin of digital marketing as we know it.

The decision to ban IP address logging on Google Analytics 4, then, is seen by some as a strategic move by Google made in response to backlash faced in Europe. “In light of the recent Google Analytics decisions in Europe, and in particular, the Austrian Data Protection Authority’s emphasis on the failure of the website operator to properly implement IP ‘anonymization,’ the IP address change is likely a timely effort to mitigate such risk while awaiting resolution on the broader issue of EU-US transfers,” says Arielle Garcia, chief privacy officer at UM Worldwide.

Read the article on The Drum.