Home Depot gave personal data to Meta without valid customer consent: watchdog
By The Canadian Press on January 26, 2023.
OTTAWA – The federal privacy watchdog says Home Depot shared details from electronic receipts with Meta, which operates the Facebook social media platform, without the knowledge or consent of customers. In a report today, privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne says the data included encoded email addresses and in-store purchase information. The commissioner’s investigation found that the information sent to Meta was used to see whether a customer had a Facebook account. If they did have an account, Meta compared what the customer bought at Home Depot to advertisements sent over the platform to measure and report on the effectiveness of the ads. In a statement, Dufresne says it is unlikely that Home Depot customers would have expected their personal information to be shared with a social media platform simply because they opted for an electronic receipt. Dufresne, who plans to discuss his findings at a news conference today, says Home Depot stopped sharing customer information with Meta last October. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2023. – – – Meta funds a limited number of fellowships that support emerging journalists at The Canadian Press. 10-9
