]u[ Ubiquity platforms move to Plausible for monitoring site usage

]u[ Ubiquity will no longer support Google Analytics (GA) to monitor site usage for its journal, book, and repository platforms.

The upcoming replacement of Google’s legacy Universal Analytics service with its new Google Analytics (GA) 4 provided an opportunity for ]u[ Ubiquity to evaluate whether the Google service is suitable for its customers and aligned with ]u[ Ubiquity’s core values. Concerns around storing, selling, and sharing users’ data to advertisers as well as incompatibility with compliance regarding users privacy rights initiated a thorough assessment of the Google Analytics service. As part of this analysis the availability of code and algorithm, speed and performance of the websites as well as data reliability and integration were also considered. Alternative providers were rigorously examined and Plausible was the winning provider.

A summary of the reasons for this switch are provided below, including an FAQ addressed to existing customers.

User Privacy

A main driving factor for finding an alternative to GA was that a number of European countries have judged that Google’s service is not GDPR compliant, with legislation from other regions also introducing similar restrictions (e.g. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) in the United Kingdom). As ]u[ Ubiquity customers and site users have a strong base within Europe, non-compliance with GDPR is a significant barrier to the use of Google service. Although Google has improved privacy in Google Analytics 4, it has still not been deemed GDPR compliant despite some changes in its privacy settings: Google Analytics 4 still collects personal data (unique user identifiers) and processes it outside the EU. The move to Plausible removes the issue of GDPR, or any other data compliance laws, as it has been built with privacy in mind. All site measurement is carried out anonymously, cookies are not used, and no personal data is collected, allowing it to make use of accurate analytics without endangering user privacy.

Open Source

As well as additional privacy for the platform users, Plausible fits the ]u[ Ubiquity mission to support open source software where possible. Rather than the ‘black box’ of Google code and algorithms, Plausible states that “Our source code is available and accessible on GitHub so anyone can read it, inspect it and review it to verify that our actions match with our words.” Supporting such platforms helps ensure the viability of community and user focused options to benefit our partners, while aligning well with the ]u[ Ubiquity customer charter, designed to ensure we continue our commitment to our values of openness.

Lightweight

The lightweight nature of Plausible will also help with loading times for users. The Plausible script is 17 times smaller than the Google Analytics script and 45 times smaller than the recommended Google Analytics integration using Google Tag Manager. With less code to process in the background, sites will be less weighed down with unnecessary code, meaning that all sites can perform better.

Reliable Data

The fact that Google Analytics requires users to actively opt-in to cookie tracking has also resulted in Google Analytics data becoming increasingly incorrect, because it reflects an unknown percentage of the usage on the sites. Plausible is able to collect usage data without storing personal data or personally identifiable information. A more accurate dataset is therefore produced, ensuring that all analytics are realistically reflecting the actual engagement with all site content.

Future integration

Plausible has a public API and integration options. Work has already been scheduled by ]u[ Ubiquity’s development team to add a site usage dashboard into OJS in the coming months. It is also expected that it will be possible to integrate the Plausible dashboard within the book and repository platforms, so that site managers can easily access data. Further investigation is required in this regard.

Additional information

Further comparison between Plausible and Google Analytics, can be found at https://plausible.io/vs-google-analytics

For general information about Plausible, visit: https://plausible.io/about.

FAQs for customers

Q: Will we need to do anything to connect to Plausible?

A: No. The ]u[ tech team have already connected Plausible to the journal and repository platforms. The press/book platforms will be connected very shortly.

Q: Will publication usage metrics be affected?

A: The ]u[ Ubiquity platform will soon exclusively use the OPERAS metrics platform. Logs from Google Analytics were previously supported, however, a transition away from Google data started in 2022, with the new journals platform using ]u[ Ubiquity’s own server logs rather than GA data. Books and Repositories usage data will follow in the coming weeks. Historical usage data that has already been logged on the article/book/repository page will be retained and integrated with the new data feed to ensure that publication usage data is not lost.

Q: When will book metrics move away from GA data?

A: The configuration for the new book metrics platform is currently being finalised and scheduled for release before the end of June 2023, which will include the move away from Google Analytics. These will not use data from Plausible (although this may be integrated in the future), but will use ]u[ Ubiquity’s own server logs.

Q: Can we still connect our own GA account to the sites?

A: No. Adding GA as well as Plausible is something that we do not believe is necessary as Plausible can provide the same core information whilst being compliant with privacy laws and in an open source environment. Having a single platform also means less fragmentation of data across all of the ]u[ Ubiquity platforms.

Q: Is Plausible free?

A: Not for ]u[ Ubiquity, but there will be no increase in costs to customers. In making this decision, ]u[ Ubiquity has decided to move away from the free Google service and invest in the open source alternative. Rather than use the free GA service, which utilises a business model based around selling & sharing data to advertisers, ]u[ Ubiquity sees the value in Plausible’s subscription model, which results in no data being shared/sold to third-parties. Although this slightly increases our overheads, we believe the benefits are worthwhile, and this will not lead to an increased cost to customers.

Q: Will I be able to access the Plausible metrics?

A: Yes. If product owners would like to access the Plausible data, we can provide you with a link that will give complete access to the site’s dashboard. This will be on a domain by domain basis, so if you have multiple sites on the ]u[ Ubiquity platform, you may need multiple links. Please ask your Account Manager if you would like to be provided with such a link. In the longer term, we aim to integrate Plausible inside the ]u[ Ubiquity content management systems (e.g. OJS), so that the Plausible metrics dashboard will be accessible to specific user roles as default.