> How Friendly Analytics handles GDPR and ePrivacy: cookieless Matomo based analytics hosted in Switzerland that can usually run without a consent banner. > > Canonical: https://www.flowconsent.com/en/services/analytics/friendly-analytics Analytics # Friendly Analytics Analytics · [Official website](https://friendly.ch/en/analytics) Friendly Analytics is a privacy focused web analytics service based in Switzerland and built on the open source Matomo platform. It measures audience, sources, campaigns and goals, and by default it runs without cookies and without collecting personal data, so it can be used without a consent banner. Data is hosted in Switzerland, which benefits from a European Commission adequacy decision, so there is no third country transfer concern. If you enable the optional Matomo cookies for returning visitor recognition, consent becomes necessary. [Block Friendly Analytics until consent](https://app.flowconsent.com/auth/sign-up?utm_source=flowconsent.com\&utm_medium=referral\&utm_campaign=analytics) · [Scan my site](https://www.flowconsent.com/en/scan) At a glance - Category [Analytics](https://www.flowconsent.com/en/services/analytics) - Consent Analytics - Prior consent Not required - Documented cookies 2 - Third-party domains 2 - Servers Operated by Friendly Analytics in Switzerland. Data is hosted in Switzerland, which benefits from a European Commission adequacy decision. Overview ## What does Friendly Analytics do? ## What Friendly Analytics is Friendly Analytics is a managed, privacy first analytics service operated from Switzerland and based on Matomo, the leading open source analytics platform. It gives you the familiar Matomo reports for visits, acquisition, behaviour and conversions, but with a configuration tuned for European privacy law: anonymised data, no third party sharing and, by default, no cookies. It is marketed as a consent free, GDPR and Swiss FADP compliant alternative to Google Analytics. ## What data and cookies it processes In its default configuration Friendly Analytics is cookieless: it anonymises IP addresses, does not store a persistent identifier and measures aggregated visit data without recognising individuals across sessions. If you turn on the optional Matomo first party cookies (\_pk\_id and \_pk\_ses) to distinguish returning visitors, the service starts storing information on the device, which changes the consent position. The data itself stays under your control on Swiss infrastructure. ## GDPR and ePrivacy implications When Friendly Analytics runs cookieless and anonymised, it does not store information on the device, so it falls outside the consent requirement of article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive, and the minimal data can rest on legitimate interest under GDPR article 6(1)(f). If you enable the optional cookies, those cookies require prior consent under article 5(3), so keep that configuration behind your consent banner. ## Data location and transfers Friendly Analytics hosts data in Switzerland, which the European Commission recognises as providing an adequate level of protection, so transfers from the EU to Switzerland do not require additional safeguards and there is no transfer to the United States. This keeps your analytics outside the high risk transfer scenarios associated with US based tools. ## Practical compliance steps Decide whether you need returning visitor recognition: if not, keep the default cookieless mode and run without consent, confirming with developer tools that no cookie is set. If you enable the Matomo cookies, gate them behind consent. In both cases, describe Friendly Analytics, its Swiss hosting and the anonymisation in your privacy policy, and keep IP anonymisation and a sensible retention period switched on. Compliance ## Friendly Analytics and the GDPR - Legal basis In the default cookieless, anonymised mode no information is stored on the device, so it falls outside ePrivacy art. 5(3) and the minimal data can rest on legitimate interest under GDPR art. 6(1)(f). If the optional Matomo cookies are enabled, those require prior consent under ePrivacy art. 5(3) and GDPR art. 6(1)(a). - Risk level low - Applicable regulations GDPR, ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC, Swiss FADP, TTDSG (Germany), LOPDGDD (Spain), LIL (France) ### Impact assessment (DPIA) In its default cookieless, anonymised mode, Friendly Analytics is low risk and does not normally require a DPIA. If you enable the optional cookies or detailed behavioural features, reassess the processing, the retention and the legal basis. Hosting in Switzerland, which benefits from an EU adequacy decision, keeps the transfer risk low. ### Sample text for your banner > This website uses Friendly Analytics, a privacy focused analytics service hosted in Switzerland and based on Matomo, to measure how our pages and campaigns perform. In its default mode it sets no cookies, anonymises IP addresses and collects no personal data, so it runs without requiring your consent. If we enable returning visitor recognition, the related cookies are only set after you accept analytics cookies, and you can withdraw your consent at any time. Cookies and trackers ## What Friendly Analytics sets and contacts - Tracking method Matomo based web analytics, configurable to run with or without cookies; default mode is cookieless with IP anonymisation - Server location Operated by Friendly Analytics in Switzerland. Data is hosted in Switzerland, which benefits from a European Commission adequacy decision. - Cookieless mode available Yes ### Cookies set (2) | Name | Type | Duration | Purpose | | --------- | ---------------------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | \_pk\_id | First party, persistent (optional) | 13 months | Optional Matomo cookie that stores a pseudonymous visitor identifier to recognise returning visitors. Set only if the cookie based mode is enabled, in which case it requires consent. | | \_pk\_ses | First party, session (optional) | 30 minutes | Optional Matomo session cookie that stores temporary visit data. Set only if the cookie based mode is enabled. | ### Third-party domains contacted (2) - `friendlyanalytics.ch` - `app.friendlyanalytics.ch` Questions ## Frequently asked questions about Friendly Analytics Can't find your question? Write to us, we answer fast. [Write to us](https://www.flowconsent.com/en/demo) ### Does Friendly Analytics set cookies? By default no. Friendly Analytics runs cookieless, anonymising IP addresses and storing no persistent identifier. You can optionally enable the Matomo first party cookies \_pk\_id and \_pk\_ses to recognise returning visitors, but that changes the cookie consent position. ### Do I need consent to use Friendly Analytics? Not in the default cookieless mode, because nothing is stored on the device and no personal data is processed, so it falls outside the ePrivacy consent requirement. If you enable the optional cookies, you do need prior consent for them. ### What is the legal basis? In cookieless mode the minimal, anonymised data can rest on legitimate interest under GDPR article 6(1)(f), with no consent needed. If you enable cookies, those require consent under GDPR article 6(1)(a) and ePrivacy article 5(3). ### Does Friendly Analytics transfer data to the United States? No. Friendly Analytics hosts data in Switzerland, which the European Commission recognises as adequate, so transfers from the EU do not need additional safeguards and there is no US transfer. ### Do I need a DPIA? Not in the default anonymous, cookieless mode, which is low risk. Reassess if you enable cookies or more detailed behavioural tracking, but Swiss hosting keeps the transfer risk low. ### How do I implement Friendly Analytics compliantly? Use the cookieless mode if you do not need returning visitor recognition, keep IP anonymisation on, and confirm with developer tools that no cookie is set. If you enable the Matomo cookies, gate them behind consent and describe them in your cookie policy. ### What are the alternatives to Friendly Analytics? Other privacy friendly analytics include self hosted Matomo, Plausible, Fathom, Simple Analytics and SealMetrics. Several can run cookieless and EU or Swiss hosted, so choose based on hosting location, features and whether you need returning visitor recognition. ### How do I keep my privacy policy up to date with Friendly Analytics? State that you use Friendly Analytics, that it is Matomo based and hosted in Switzerland, and whether you run it cookieless or with the optional cookies. Update the description and the consent categories whenever you change that configuration. 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