Will the Income Tax Department use Digi Yatra data to catch tax evaders? No, the viral claim is false.
A piece of news related to the Income Tax Department is going viral on social media claiming that the tax department will use data of Digi Yatra to crack down on tax evaders.
Digi Yatra is a digital initiative of the Government of India, in which the air travel experience of passengers is made easy and convenient. In this, passengers are identified through facial recognition (Facial Recognition Technology i.e. FRT). With this facility, passengers do not have to stand in long queues at the airport and show documents.
Fact Check
The DFRAC team investigated the viral claim. Upon research, the viral claim was found to be false. We found a post, dated December 30, 2024, on the X handle of @IncomeTaxIndia refuting the viral claim. The post of @IncomeTaxIndia reads, “It is seen that news articles have appeared stating that Digiyatra data will be used to crack down on tax evaders.
In this connection it is clarified that as on date there is no such move by the @Income Taxindia department.
@nsitharamanoffc
@officeofPCM
@FinMinIndia
@PIB_India”
Conclusion:
Thus, DFRAC’s fact check clearly shows that the viral claim from the tax department using Digi Yatra data to catch tax evaders is false. The Income Tax Department has not taken any such action.
