Paranoia & Google Analytics

How safe to have multiple sites in one account?

[treeline]

Despite my paranoia about what Google may do with the info gleaned, I find Analytics extremely useful and insightful. So I want to expand my use of it, without harming any of the sites.

Currently use it on two sites that are both clearly mine, crosslinked, and obviously related. Between the matching whois data, subject, and links even the blind could peg these as connected. Both do well in their niche from different angles. So I'm not worried that having them in the same Analytics account will have an impact.

I'd like to put Analytics on some unrelated sites that I manage for businesses of friends/family. There is no relationship between these sites and my sites, or each other. No crosslinks, different industries, different design and style, diverse whois, hosts, and registrars. No incoming links from the same sites. No aggressive SEO.

Is it safe to include these in the same Analytics account? This must tip Google off that they're connected somehow. If there's no other connection does it matter? How paranoid is enough?

Right now I can add a bunch immediately to my existing account, or have to wait for an "invitation" to set up another. Is it worth waiting? What would you do?

[Receptional]

What would you do?

I generally pay the money and get similar statistics from elsewhere. The problem is that you can't have your cake and eat it. If you use Google analytics, then of course, Google can use this data to make associations in any way it chooses. If that doesn't bother you, that's fine. If it does, don't use it.

The problem is that it giving your data to Google is like ID cards. They may not be a legal requirement (well - not in my country) but sooner or later it will be a nightmare to avoid.

Microsoft already has whatever data it needs, should it decide to use it, through the operating system and IE, but Google is getting plenty for itself. If the paranoia is getting to you, you'll need to:

Dump the google toolbar
stop using google for searching
stop using analytics
avoid google earth or any other cool google download
miss out on adwords and adsense.

quite a tall order. But then... to avoid giving the same data to Microsoft you'll need to:

Stop using office
Stop using hotmail and IM
Stop using the operating system

infact... best to go and be an organic farmer instead!