analytics-alv.google.com: How Google Tracks Your Website Use

Google’s tracker, analytics-alv.google.com, is part of Google Analytics, collecting data on how you interact with websites. This invasive tracking builds detailed profiles of your behavior for site owners and Google. Here’s what it does.

What Is analytics-alv.google.com?

This domain supports Google Analytics, monitoring your activity on sites to analyze user behavior. It gathers extensive data, creating privacy risks by profiling you. As Privacy Auditors, we’re alarmed by the depth of this tracking.

Data It Collects

When you visit a site with Google Analytics, it grabs:

• IP Address: Tracks your location via your connection.
• Page Views: Logs every page you visit.
• Click Events: Records interactions with links or buttons.
• Session Duration: Measures how long you’re active.
• User ID: Ties your actions to a unique identifier.
• Device Type: Identifies your phone or desktop.
• Browser Type: Notes specifics like Chrome 121.0.
• Cookie IDs: Uses _ga or _gid for tracking.

This data maps your online behavior for analytics.

Who Gets Your Data?

Your information is shared with:

• Website Owner: Uses Google Analytics for insights.
• Google: Integrates data into broader profiling systems.
• Adtech Company: Via Google’s real-time bidding (RTB) system, sharing geolocation and device IDs.
• Government Entity: Per Google’s 2024 transparency report, data like IP is shared in 80% of U.S. requests.

How to Protect Yourself

At Privacy Auditors, we’re committed to your privacy. Here’s how to block this tracker:

• Use Tracker Blockers: Privacy Auditor’s paid service stops analytics-alv.google.com scripts.
• Mask with a VPN: Hide your IP using a VPN like Mullvad.
• Switch Browsers: Use Firefox with tracking protection or Tor Browser.
• Clear Cookies: Delete tracking cookies regularly.

Combine these steps to reduce Google’s tracking.

Sources

• Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Google Analytics Documentation: https://support.google.com/analytics/

This is a legal disclaimer. All information is provided for educational purposes only.