Will the government check your phone calls and messages starting April 1st? Learn the truth about the new income tax rules
A claim is circulating on social media that the Income Tax Department will check your email and social media accounts starting April 1, 2026, but the government has dismissed this as false. The PIB clarified that under the new law, digital investigations will only be conducted during "search operations" in cases of major tax evasion. This rule does not apply to ordinary taxpayers or routine investigations.
Income Tax New Rules: These days, a news story on social media has ordinary taxpayers worried. A post is rapidly going viral online, claiming that under the new Income Tax Act, the government is preparing to digitally spy on your phone.
It is being said that from April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department will have direct authority to check your bank account, email, and even social media accounts.
If you too believe this news and are worried about your privacy, then wait. The government has made its position completely clear on this matter, and the truth is something else.
What confusion is being spread on social media?
Citing a post on the internet attributed to the handle "Indian Tech Guide" (@IndianTechGuide), it is being claimed that the new Income Tax Act, 2025, grants the department unlimited powers in the name of preventing tax evasion.
According to the viral message, the department can scrutinize your personal messages, social media activity, and emails even for routine investigations.
Obviously, it's natural for ordinary citizens to be alarmed by such claims, as they directly question the right to privacy. However, this information is incomplete and completely misleading.
Disabled man's account seized for Rs 800... forced to visit police station with bare hands, Bokaro's Indrajeet in deep trouble!
A post by @IndianTechGuide claims that from April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department will have the 'authority' to access your social media, emails, and other digital platforms to curb tax evasion. #PIBFactCheck
❌The claim being made in this post is #misleading ! Heres the real pic.twitter.com/hIyPPcvALF
The government told the truth: this claim is fake
Given the seriousness of this viral claim, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has fact-checked it. The PIB categorically stated that the claim circulating on social media is false.
The government clarified that the Income Tax Department has not been granted any blanket authority or arbitrary powers to snoop into anyone's digital space at will. This is merely a rumor being spread without context.
The real meaning of Section 247
Now the question arises: if this is a lie, what does the law actually say? PIB explained that this confusion has been created regarding Section 247 of the Income Tax Act, 2025. The reality is that the provisions of this section are very strict and can only be invoked in specific circumstances.
The department can only access your digital data (such as email or social media) if a search and survey operation is underway against an individual.
That is, unless there's solid evidence of significant tax evasion against a taxpayer and the department is conducting an official raid, no one has the right to intrude on your personal life.
Income Tax