Will Income Tax Department be able to view your social media, emails from April 1, 2026? What government said

According to PIB, the provisions under Section 247 of the Income Tax Act, 2025, are limited strictly to search and survey operations.

Published on: Dec 22, 2025, 20:10:31 IST

By HT News Desk

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A social media post claiming that the Income Tax Department will gain sweeping powers to access citizens’ social media accounts, emails and other digital platforms from April 1, 2026, has been flagged as misleading by the government.

The government said no such blanket powers have been granted. (MINT_PRINT)

The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking unit (PIB Fact Check) clarified that the claim, shared by X handle @IndianTechGuide, falsely suggests mass digital surveillance by tax authorities. The government said no such blanket powers have been granted.

According to PIB, the provisions under Section 247 of the Income Tax Act, 2025, are limited strictly to search and survey operations. These powers can only be exercised when there is credible evidence of serious tax evasion and a taxpayer is subjected to a formal search.

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The clarification further stated that the Income Tax Department cannot access private digital platforms for routine assessments, data processing, or scrutiny cases. Law-abiding taxpayers are not affected by these provisions.

PIB also pointed out that the authority to seize documents and digital evidence during search and survey operations is not new and has existed since the Income Tax Act of 1961.

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The updated law only aligns these powers with modern forms of digital records.

“These measures are aimed at curbing black money and large-scale tax evasion, not at monitoring the everyday digital activity of citizens,” the government said.

''The power to seize documents and evidence during search and survey operations has existed since the 1961 Act,'' the message shared on X read.

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HT News Desk
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