While GA4 takes privacy much more seriously than its predecessor, with a number of privacy settings that can be configured to limit tracking. The fact remains that Google still stores user data on US-based servers, which, according to Matomo, is against General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This effectively means that all websites collecting data from users based in the EU are not GDPR compliant.
There have already been several high-profile cases in Europe that led to websites being forced to remove Google Analytics in order to follow GDPR guidelines. This has caused many website owners to consider other Google Analytics alternatives.
In fact, a Twitter poll from SEO guru Aleyda Solis suggested that up to a third of users may consider ditching Google Analytics altogether.
The Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante della privacy) found that Google unlawfully transfers user data to the US, including IP addresses, browser details, operating systems, screen resolutions, selected languages, and the date and time of website visits. This puts websites in violation of GDPR laws.