Google offers option to block analytics

Google is endorsing a browser plug-in which blocks the company's own analytics tool.

The search giant said that users looking to protect their data from the Google analytics engine should download and install the company's 'opt-out' browser add-on.

The add-on, which is compatible with the Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome browsers, will prevent the Google Analytics Javascript tool from harvesting data about systems that visit a website equipped with the tool.

Additionally, the company is offering a tool to developers that anonymises the IP addresses of users who visit the site, preventing user data from being logged by the Analytics tool.

"We’ve worked hard to make Google Analytics both a robust and reliable web analytics platform while also ensuring the trust and privacy of visitors of these websites," said Google analytics product management director Amy Chang in a blog posting.

"We’re committed to Google Analytics as an industry-leading web analytics platform that also provides users with transparency and choice when it comes to privacy."