EU vs. Facebook-Google Analytics: Don't Panic, Just Future-Proof

Parts of the digital marketing world are all aflutter that Facebook is going to shut its doors in Europe, stranding mid- and small-sized marketers who will be unable reach prospective customers. The nerdier side of that same world is even more concerned that Google Analytics may also be unable to work anymore, at least with data on European citizens. What’s going on? Are our proverbial “pants on fire”, or is this just another bout of adtech hysterics? And of course, whatever the answer, what should you do?

Rest easy, neither firm will shut its doors. The Facebook matter, for example, is based on risks – not decisions, just risks – that Facebook had to include in its latest 10-K to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. But, both are feeling the pressure from EU judgments, Facebook in Ireland and Google Analytics in France. The bottom line is that the business models of both – based on data transfers to the US – don’t comply with GDPR, especially with the US-EU Privacy shield wiped away by the EU’s high court. Neither BigTech wants to change its business model – to only process European data in Europe, gain granular consent for transnational movements, adopt restrictive “Standard Contractual Clauses” – but the EU bureaucrats are turning out to be up to the battle.

The fight is ongoing, but US BigTechs want and need to be in Europe, and probably they will need to contemplate new, and probably weaker business models. But meanwhile, digital marketers, whether brands or publishers or the BigTechs themselves - can future-proof themselves, and regain control over their IP and businesses, by adopting new data-sharing technologies that enable data to be processed remotely with complete security without sacrificing any programmability.

For example, Helios Data’s Secure Data Sharing platform uses digital-contract governed secure enclaves (a.k.a. “confidential compute” technology) that enable data controllers and partners to use first-party personal data with no opportunity for data to be disclosed, diverted, or even used for an unpermitted or inappropriate processing! We call this “data usage risk”, and our platform eliminates it. It works across on-premises and Cloud deployments and can work with nearly any kind of analytics and algorithms. Both data privacy and data protection are achieved. While the BigTechs duke it out in court, you need to get your insights from your data, and Helios Data may be the right choice … give us a call.

So, don’t panic … while the Titans clash, move on and future-proof your digital transformation activities by controlling your data and how it is processed.

Tags: Data Privacy, Data Monetization, data controller, data subject, GDPR, Data risk, Secure Data Sharing, data protection, digital contract, secure enclave, Data Usage Risk