Some of the nation’s largest tax-prep companies have spent years sharing Americans’ sensitive financial data with tech titans including Meta and Google in a potential violation of federal law — data that in some cases was misused for targeted advertising, according to a seven-month congressional investigation.
The report highlights what legal experts described to CNN as a “five-alarm fire” for taxpayer privacy that could lead to government and private lawsuits, criminal penalties or perhaps even a “mortal blow” for some industry giants involved in the probe including TaxSlayer, H&R Block and TaxAct.
Using visitor tracking technology embedded on their websites, the three tax-prep companies allegedly sent tens of millions of Americans’ personal information to the tech industry without consent or appropriate disclosures, according to the congressional report reviewed by CNN.
Beyond ordinary personal data such as people’s names, phone numbers and email addresses, the list of information shared also included taxpayer data — details about people’s filing status, adjusted gross income, the size of their tax refunds and even information about the buttons and text fields they clicked on while filling out their tax forms, which could reveal what tax breaks they may have claimed or which government programs they use, according to the report.
This is really interesting. I was a software developer for one of the major tax prep companies. I worked on their now legacy software and helped build their new one. When I worked their,...
This is really interesting. I was a software developer for one of the major tax prep companies. I worked on their now legacy software and helped build their new one. When I worked their, protecting sensitive information was pretty important. This is shocking to me. I can imagine how big this news is within the industry. I would hope that this would have a big impact on state/federal tax filing approvals next year for tax prep companies.
A five alarm fire and nothing will come of it. The companies might receive a minimal fine and a, "Don't do it again." So nothing will change, and our data will continue to be illegal sold. It...
A five alarm fire and nothing will come of it. The companies might receive a minimal fine and a, "Don't do it again." So nothing will change, and our data will continue to be illegal sold. It happens so often I can't even be mad about it anymore.
I know that feeling. Here we have companies that are known to lobby against free and simplified tax preparation and at least part of the solution is known and basically already exists -- but we...
It happens so often I can't even be mad about it anymore.
I know that feeling. Here we have companies that are known to lobby against free and simplified tax preparation and at least part of the solution is known and basically already exists -- but we can't implement it because We the People can't organize enough political power to outweigh the power of the corporate lobbyists. And people are so frustrated with this disempowerment that they give up trying, which gives increased advantage to those who are rigging the system. One of my hopes for Tildes is that we can promote more discussions about how people can organize to fight against these corporations that are so blatantly stomping on our mutual interests.
Thanks for directly providing the article!
As for the matter at hand itself, if it helps bring down the tax-prep lobby('s operators), I'm all for it.
This is really interesting. I was a software developer for one of the major tax prep companies. I worked on their now legacy software and helped build their new one. When I worked their, protecting sensitive information was pretty important. This is shocking to me. I can imagine how big this news is within the industry. I would hope that this would have a big impact on state/federal tax filing approvals next year for tax prep companies.
A five alarm fire and nothing will come of it. The companies might receive a minimal fine and a, "Don't do it again." So nothing will change, and our data will continue to be illegal sold. It happens so often I can't even be mad about it anymore.
I know that feeling. Here we have companies that are known to lobby against free and simplified tax preparation and at least part of the solution is known and basically already exists -- but we can't implement it because We the People can't organize enough political power to outweigh the power of the corporate lobbyists. And people are so frustrated with this disempowerment that they give up trying, which gives increased advantage to those who are rigging the system. One of my hopes for Tildes is that we can promote more discussions about how people can organize to fight against these corporations that are so blatantly stomping on our mutual interests.