Google and Meta Illegally Acquire Millions of Taxpayers’ Information

Three major accounting and tax preparation firms are facing charges of illegally sharing private financial information of tens of millions of taxpayers with Google and Meta.

Outrageous

Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts has led a seven-month congressional investigation into these claims. It is alleged that H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer used visitor monitoring software on their websites to share information.

The investigation revealed that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has improperly used the shared information for personalized marketing, potentially violating federal law.

The companies allegedly shared details such as taxpayers’ filing status, income, expected refund amounts, and even the names of their children. Additionally, sensitive information like addresses and contact details were exchanged.

It was even reported that they exchanged information about the selections made by clients on tax forms, which could expose any tax benefits customers may have received or their participation in government programs.

Tens Of Millions Of Americans’ Private Details Compromised After Three Major Tax Preparation Companies – H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer – Accused Of Sharing Information With Google and Metahttps://t.co/ZvGVXSa7jl

— Steve Elder (@SteveEl32796677) July 14, 2023

According to David Vladeck, a former chief of consumer protection at the Federal Trade Commission, this alleged breach of information would be rated a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10.

“If everything we have discovered about this is accurate, then it’s a five-alarm fire,” said Vladeck, who is now a law professor at Georgetown University.

The tax preparation firms assist taxpayers in electronically filing their federal and state taxes through their websites.

Tens of millions of Americans’ private details compromised after three major tax preparation companies accused of sharing information with Google and Meta
– Tax preparation companies accused of sharing data with tech giants https://t.co/MXuhcX6oxT via @MailOnline

— Diane Lange (@DclareDiane) July 13, 2023

A shocking study published on July 11 revealed that web page names in online tax software were being collected and distributed using a tracking pixel.

According to a Senator Warren aide interviewed by CNN, this data can reveal which tax forms taxpayers have viewed.

Illegal Activities

During the investigation, Meta admitted to using taxpayer data to develop its artificial intelligence algorithms and provide targeted third-party advertisements.

By federal law, the dissemination of tax return data without the taxpayer’s express written consent is prohibited.

This article originally appeared in Conservative Cardinal and has been published here with permission.