EU Financial Institutions Leak Data Through Cookie Trackers

July 22, 2026 · Dark Reading · Severity: MEDIUM

European and US banks were found to be transmitting customer data to advertising platforms through third-party cookies and tracking pixels embedded in their websites. When customers logged into online banking portals, applied for loans, or checked balances, data including financial product interests, browsing behavior, and in some cases personal identifiers was sent to ad tech companies like Google, Meta, and other analytics providers. The data leakage raises serious regulatory concerns under GDPR and other privacy frameworks that require explicit consent for data processing and prohibit the use of financial data for advertising purposes without clear authorization.