Tax Preparation Firms Face Scrutiny Over Data Sharing With Meta And Google

Major tax prep companies installed tracking tools that sent taxpayer data to Meta and Google without proper consent.
Information collected and shared included filing status, income, refunds, dependents, and more personal data.
Lawmakers accuse companies of violating privacy laws and disregarding taxpayer rights.
Meta and Google claim data was anonymous but lawmakers argue it could easily be traced to individuals.
Investigations opened into potential privacy violations, with calls for enforcement action and penalties against firms involved.