Digital analytics is often presented as a neutral practice. We collect data, optimise campaigns, and measure results. But behind every number, there is a person. And between people and marketing, there is a structural conflict of interest.
- Citizens represent the public. Their privacy, autonomy, and rights can be affected by how data, advertising, or technology are used.
- Marketing managers represent organisations. Their goal is to attract customers, increase sales, and optimise performance, sometimes at the expense of individuals’ privacy or transparency.
- Analytics professionals sit between them. They are responsible for collecting data, managing integrations, and ensuring that systems work as intended. They are often located at the centre of this conflict: sometimes able to influence decisions, sometimes not.
This triangle defines much of today’s digital marketing. It is a system of incentives and compromises.
The conflict of interest
Conflicts arise when the logic of optimisation collides with the logic of human rights.
A marketing manager wants to collect more personal data to improve targeting, while citizens expect privacy and data protection.
Analytics professionals often find themselves in the middle. They know what is technically possible and where the ethical boundaries lie.
Sometimes they can steer a project towards privacy-friendly solutions. Other times, they execute what has already been decided.
Taking the side of the citizen
I believe we should take the side of the citizen.
That means prioritising:
- Transparency. Explain how and why data is collected and used.
- Privacy and consent. Respect the principles of GDPR and the user’s right to control their information.
- Ethical use of analytics and AI. Avoid manipulative, opaque, and intrusive practices, even when they increase profit.
And this applies especially in legal grey areas.
Today, many marketing technologies operate in spaces the law has not yet clearly defined.
Offline conversion tracking is often used to send personal data to advertising platforms without valid consent.
Server-side tracking is sometimes implemented to circumvent ad blockers rather than to improve user privacy.
These practices might be legal, but they are not ethical. They treat privacy as an obstacle to be overcome rather than a value to be respected.
When regulation is unclear, our responsibility increases. Taking the citizen’s side means asking not what is allowed, but what is right.
Ethics as a shared responsibility
Ethical marketing is not only the marketer’s job. It is also the analyst’s.
Analytics professionals have a unique position of insight. They understand what data is collected, how it flows between systems, and what it can reveal about people.
This knowledge carries power and moral weight.
In practice, this means:
- Documenting data flows and integrations. Clear documentation reveals risks and helps identify unnecessary data collection.
- Challenging unclear or unethical requests. When a brief includes tracking that lacks a legal basis or consent, say so. Silence is complicity.
- Recommending privacy-first setups. Prefer solutions that minimise data and maximise user control, such as Piwik PRO, Matomo, or JENTIS with consent logic.
- Embedding privacy in QA. Every quality assurance process should verify not just data accuracy, but also compliance and purpose.
- Educating teams. Many ethical breaches start with ignorance, not intent. Helping colleagues understand the limits of lawful and fair data use is part of the job.
These are small, concrete actions, but together they shape the culture of digital analytics and digital marketing.
Ethics for better business: transparency and trust
This is not idealism. It is a responsibility. Sustainable marketing is built on trust, and trust requires honesty.
Technology should serve people, not exploit them. When analytics and marketing align with human values, they become tools for understanding and improvement—not manipulation.
Taking the citizen’s side is not against business. It is for better business: transparent, trustworthy, and human-centred.