Data Redaction in Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
By Jeremy Neilson | November 10, 2023 | Analytics
Discover Google’s new Data Redaction in GA4 for enhanced privacy. Secure your web data streams today – protect sensitive information!
Google Introducing Data Redaction
On October 3, Google released an update introducing data redaction for web data streams in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
What is Data Redaction?
Data redaction is exactly what the name implies. Data sent to your GA4 property via data streams where data redaction is enabled will be scanned by GA4 and any text matching your filters will be removed. This feature aims to prevent any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from being collected.
Analytics creates events with your data that are eventually sent to your property in GA4. With data redaction turned on, Analytics analyzes this event for PII when it’s created, but before it’s sent anything to your property. This feature is currently only available for web data streams.
Here is an example of how a URL will be modified with data redaction enabled for the query parameter ‘param’:
‘https://advertience.com/?param=value’
Becomes
‘https://advertience.com/?param=(redacted)’
How to enable Data Redaction in GA4
GA4 will automatically enable this setting for emails on new properties, but there is also the option to switch it on for query parameters (the key-value pairs that come after the ‘?’ in a URL). These features are both automatically off for older properties.
The new setting is located under Admin -> Data Streams in your GA4 property, where you can click the stream of your choice. There should be a section in the new tab labeled “Redact data” under which you can enable either kind of redaction, enter in specific query parameters to redact, and even test a URL to see how the data will be redacted.
Limitations of Data Redaction
While this feature is a great addition, there are several things to keep in mind before enabling it on your property.
- Text may be incorrectly interpreted as an email address, especially text with an ‘@’ followed by a domain like ‘advertience.com’. If you know the data you’re collecting might be similar to this, it’s something to monitor if you enable email data redaction.
- It doesn’t apply to all data. HTTP-headers are not scanned, and neither is data collected via Measurement Protocol, or imported from external sources, like a .csv file.
Takeaways
In all, any new settings that allow for greater protection of privacy on websites are a win for us all. This feature is fantastic for those who were hoping for some added security for their stream’s data collection, but doesn’t have an immense effect on those who wouldn’t care much about redacting any data.
In addition to utilizing Google’s new Data Redaction feature in GA4, it’s crucial to regularly review and optimize your Google Analytics setup. Conducting a Google Analytics audit can be a pivotal step in enhancing data accuracy and compliance. For businesses in Toronto and Vancouver, engaging with Advertience, a specialized Google Analytics agency, can bring bespoke insights and robust strategies to harness your data effectively. Advertience offers a comprehensive range of services in Google Analytics, helping you to navigate the complexities of data analysis and make informed decisions. Stay at the forefront of the digital landscape by leveraging the expertise of Advertience in refining your Google Analytics approaches.
