IRS and Google Analytics: A Privacy Concern?

In an era where data privacy has become paramount, a recent revelation has raised eyebrows and concerns among taxpayers. Reports suggest that Google Analytics might be receiving specific transactional data from the IRS website, which is both unexpected and alarming.

The Allegation

The revelation came into the limelight when David Leary, a known figure from the Accounting Podcast, shared his personal experience on Twitter. According to Leary, Google Analytics was not just tracking his sign-in activity on the IRS website, but it also identified when he clicked to make a payment and recorded that a payment was submitted.

The Concern

If these allegations hold true, this is not just about the IRS website tracking general user behavior, which is pretty standard for most websites.

It suggests a deeper transmission of specific, confidential transactions that taxpayers perform. This goes beyond generic data analytics and dives into the realm of sharing personal and potentially sensitive taxpayer activities.

Such transmission can infringe upon the privacy rights of individuals and put their personal information at potential risk.

Protecting Your Data:

Until there is more clarity on the matter and necessary safeguards are in place, taxpayers who want to protect their activities on the IRS website can use analytic blockers. Tools such as Ublock Origin can prevent data transmission, ensuring that your transactional activities remain private.

In Conclusion: It’s crucial for the IRS and other government websites to maintain the highest standards of data privacy, especially given the sensitive nature of the information they handle.

While analytics play a crucial role in improving website performance and user experience, there should be a clear demarcation between general analytics and the sharing of specific, personal transactional data.

Taxpayers deserve transparency, and it’s the responsibility of institutions to ensure that trust is not breached.