‘No such move…’: IT department denies misuse of DigiYatra data for cracking down on tax evaders

Amid news reports claiming that the DigiYatra platform’s facial recognition data will be used to crack down on tax evaders, the income tax department clarified that such reports were false.

In a post on its official X handle, the I-T department stated, “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 Tax India department.”

For the unversed, the DigiYatra uses facial recognition technology at airports to catalyse passenger processing which helps reduce waiting time and enhances passengers’ travel experience.

However, the Indian government earlier clarified that facial biometrics will not be activated or taken into the DigiYatra system until the user gives consent for the feature.

Recent news reports in question claimed that the data collected by the DigiYatra platform would be leveraged by the Income Tax Department to identify tax evaders and later take action against them.

DigiYatra CEO reponds

Additionally, the CEO of DigiYatra Suresh Khadakabhavi, highlighted the news report and addressed the users’ concerns in a LinkedIn post.

“These are unfounded claims about the misuse of Digi Yatra data 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,” he wrote.

“The claim that “the department is perusing the data of both international and domestic air travellers” is incorrect. Digi Yatra is currently available only for domestic air travel. Additionally, without a central database, no data is accessible by any department,” the post further added.

Launched by the DigiYatra Foundation in 2022, Digi Yatra is a private not-for-profit initiative coordinated by India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation. The platform has crossed over 9 million active users in 2024.

Source: Hindustan Times