This particular setting is garnering a significant amount of attention, primarily due to the ambiguity surrounding Google’s intentions. For the majority of individuals, it’s not evident what Google is implying with this setting. From our analysis, it appears that Google is employing this setting as a mechanism to shift the onus onto you, the user, for the collection of personal data and its subsequent integration with Google Analytics data. This is achieved by asserting that you, as the website owner, have duly informed your website’s visitors and have obtained the necessary consent to collect and process their data.
However, it is important to note that this setting does not seem to have any tangible effect on the technical aspects of Google Analytics, at least based on the information available to us. In simpler terms, the functionality and data processing of Google Analytics do not appear to be altered or affected by this setting.
It is possible that this setting is more of a legal safeguard for Google, ensuring that website owners are made explicitly accountable for complying with data protection regulations. By doing so, Google might be attempting to distance itself from any legal liabilities associated with the collection and processing of personal data by website owners using Google Analytics.
Given the ambiguity and potential legal implications, it is advisable for website owners to exercise caution and possibly seek legal counsel to understand the full ramifications of this setting on data collection and compliance with data protection laws.
For more information, please refer to Google’s Help Articles: [GA4] Data collection – Analytics Help (google.com)