2
0

Three major tax-prep companies sold the personal finance info of tens of millions of Americans to Facebook


 invite response                  
2023 Jul 13, 10:37am   243 views  4 comments

by Patrick   ➕follow (59)   ignore (2)  

https://notthebee.com/article/report-three-major-tax-prep-companies-sold-sensitive-personal-financial-information-to-meta-so-that-zuck-could-target-facebook-and-instagram-users


A new report brought by Senate Democrats shows that Meta purchased personal financial information gathered from individuals' tax returns from three MAJOR tax prep software companies.

If you got your taxes done with H&R Block, TaxAct, or TaxSlayer, there's a VERY good chance that Mark Zuckerberg now owns the info you input into your tax returns.

Their report said highly personal and financial information about sources of taxpayers' income, tax deductions and exemptions was made accessible to Meta as taxpayers used the tax software to prepare their taxes.

That data came to Meta through its Pixel code, which the tax firms installed on their websites to gather information on how to improve their own marketing campaigns. In exchange, Meta was able to access the data to write targeted algorithms for its own users.

H&R Block, Tax Slayer, and Tax Act traded your private financial info to Zuckerberg so that they could improve their quality of advertising online.

Meta then used your personal info to write advertising algorithms even more directly targeted to you.

The details they gathered and sold are insane!

The program collected information on taxpayers' filing status, income, refund amounts, names of dependents, approximate federal tax owed, which buttons were clicked on the tax preparers' websites and the names of text entry forms that the taxpayer navigated, the report states.

But I'm sure everyone clicked "I Agree" when they were asked, even though no one actually reads the fine print. But I guess it goes to show what they might be hiding in it.

Comments 1 - 4 of 4        Search these comments

1   clambo   2023 Jul 13, 12:51pm  

Don't worry.
If you're a California resident, the people at PG&E will also know your income, so they can bill you at the new variable rates.
2   ForcedTQ   2023 Jul 13, 2:23pm  

Yeah, and SCE and SDG&E as well. Income based electric access charge via CPUC from 2022 AB205. Let’s give credit where it is due, our asshole state legislature is to blame.

Specifically AB205, Sec. 10, Section 739.9 (d) 1-3, (e) 1-2.

I digress, screw those other programs, use FreeTaxUSA!
3   clambo   2023 Jul 13, 4:21pm  

I wonder how HR Block knows my income; I downloaded the software and printed and mailed my 1040.
4   fdhfoiehfeoi   2023 Jul 14, 10:20am  

I've used taxAct in the past, although one year recently I did have to file by mail. Last year used a more American service, Free Tax USA.

Please register to comment:

api   best comments   contact   latest images   memes   one year ago   users   suggestions   gaiste