Valve to Discontinue Use of Google Analytics on Steam

Valve has announced that it will no longer utilize Google Analytics on Steam. The decision was made public in a recent blog post, where the company stated that Google's tracking solutions do not align with its approach to customer privacy. Instead, Valve will focus on developing its internal analytics tools. This move comes as Google's Universal Analytics is set to be phased out in July, with Google Analytics 4 being introduced as its replacement. Many companies are taking this opportunity to explore alternative traffic analysis solutions. Currently, Steam provides its users with internal traffic reports, but the company plans to expand its offerings to include more detailed geographic breakdowns and enhanced identification of external traffic sources. Updates are also planned for Steam's UTM system, which tracks marketing campaigns, including features such as one-day conversation tracking, device split, increased tracking percentage, and differentiation between new and returning users. Valve emphasized that all tools and features are designed with player privacy in mind, and as such, Steam will not share personally identifiable information. The company's commitment to privacy means that some trade-offs have been made, resulting in limitations on the specificity of certain reports. In cases where traffic sources fall below a certain volume threshold, they will be categorized as 'other'. Valve intentionally does not collect or store demographic information about its users, including age, gender, or race.