Finmin denies using Digi Yatra data to crack down on tax evaders

Digi Yatra uses facial recognition technology to verify passenger identities at airports.

The Finance Ministry on December 30 clarified that there are no plans "as on date" to use details of passengers from the Digi Yatra application to crack down on tax evaders.

In a post on X, the Income Tax Department said, "It is seen that news articles have appeared stating that Digi Yatra 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 department."

The clarification follows an article in a newspaper that citing sources said that the Centre is using data of passengers accessed via the Digi Yatra application to identify any discrepancies in tax filing.

Digi Yatra uses facial recognition technology to verify passenger identities at airports.

Earlier in the day, the CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation Suresh Khadakbhavi too denied the media report terming it as "unfounded claims based on unknown sources."

"It is crucial to clarify that Digi Yatra operates without storing any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in any central repository. This ensures there is no database to breach, share, lose, or leak, safeguarding user privacy, Khadakbhavi said in a post on LinkedIn.

He added that the claim that “the department is pursuing the data of both international and domestic air travelers” is incorrect.

"Digi Yatra is currently available only for domestic air travel. Additionally, without a central database, no data is accessible by any department. By the end of 2024, Digi Yatra achieved a milestone of over 9 million active users, reflecting widespread trust among domestic travelers," he said.

The news article suggesting that passenger details from the Digi Yatra app was being used to identify tax evasion caused quite an uproar on social media.

However, despite the denial from the income tax department, some social media users raised concerns over the use of the term "as of now."

One user responding to the clarification by the Income Tax Department on X said, "Oh. As on date? What about tomorrow? I think for the better growth of this country Income Tax and Income Tax Dept( I don't know how much percentage of tax directly going as salary to this dept) need to be abolished completely."