Security News > 2024 > January > FTC orders Intuit to stop pushing "free" software that isn't really free
Today, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ordered Intuit to stop promoting its software products and services as "Free" unless they're actually free for all consumers.
As the FTC said, around two-thirds of all tax filers in the U.S. could not use TurboTax for free as advertised by the accounting and tax software provider, instead being hit with charges when it was time to file.
Today's order should stop misleading TurboTax "Free tax filing" ads, as it prohibits Intuit from running ads for "Free" tax products and services for which many Americans are ineligible.
"The Commission's Final Order prohibits Intuit from advertising or marketing that any good or service is free unless it is free for all consumers or it discloses clearly and conspicuously and in close proximity to the 'free' claim the percentage of taxpayers or consumers that qualify for the free product or service," the FTC said on Monday.
"Alternatively, if the good or service is not free for a majority of consumers, it could disclose that a majority of consumers do not qualify. The order also requires that Intuit disclose clearly and conspicuously all the terms, conditions, and obligations that are required in order to obtain the 'free' good or service."
Americans with adjusted gross incomes of $79,000 or less can use products available through the IRS' Free File Program to file federal and state tax returns for free.