Will Income Tax Department get access to your email, social media profiles? PIB issues clarification

A claim circulating widely on social media has raised alarm, suggesting that from April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department will gain authority to access social media accounts, emails and other digital spaces to curb tax evasion.

As the posts spread and anxiety mounted, the government’s fact-checking arm stepped in to clarify what the law actually says.

The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) fact-check team issued a public response addressing the viral assertion and explaining the scope of the provision being cited.

What the law covers

According to the clarification, the provisions of Section 247 of the Income Tax Act, 2025 are confined strictly to search and survey operations. The department can act only when a taxpayer is undergoing a formal search operation, backed by evidence of significant tax evasion.

The PIB explained that these powers cannot be used for routine information gathering or processing. They also do not extend to cases under scrutiny assessment.

The measures are intended to tackle black money and large-scale tax evasion during search and survey operations. They are not aimed at ordinary, law-abiding taxpayers.

The clarification also noted that the authority to seize documents and evidence during search and survey operations has existed since the Income Tax Act of 1961.

The official conclusion

The PIB fact-check team said the claim being made in the viral post is misleading, stressing that the Income Tax Department has no general power to access private digital spaces without a formal search operation.