‘No such move’: I-T department debunks ‘unfounded claims’ of using DigiYatra data for ‘crackdown’ 

The Income Tax department has dismissed alleged claims of using data from the DigiYatra app to track tax evaders as suggested in some media reports. The department said there is no such plan as of date to use the data collected from the airport entry interface. 

In a post on X (formally twitter), the department wrote, “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 @IncomeTaxIndia department.” 

People on the social media platform reacted to the tax regulator's clarification, and the post went viral. Users questioned the tax department's use of “as on date” with some speculating on the future plans of the IT Department to use it for tax evasion crackdown. 

In a lengthy post on LinkedIn, Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of DigiYatra Foundation, also dismissed the ‘data collection’ myth highlighting the “commitment to privacy and security”. 

In his point-by-point rebuttal he wrote: 

1.⁠ ⁠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. 

2.⁠ ⁠The claim that “the department is perusing 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. 

3.⁠ ⁠It was reported that “questions sent to the tax department and Digi Yatra remained unanswered.” However, the email sent to us on Friday, December 27, 2024, landed in our spam folder. Digi Yatra has a robust outreach, ORM, and PR team that can be contacted through media@DigiYatraFoundation.com and other channels for any clarification. Genuine attempts to connect would have yielded prompt responses. 

4.⁠ ⁠The claim that “financial records of frequent international travelers could be subjected to scrutiny” is also incorrect. Digi Yatra is not yet available for international travel. Furthermore, with no central repository, scrutiny and corelation of records is not feasible. Digi Yatra’s Privacy-Preserving ecosystem aligns with the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) framework, ensuring unmatched data security, privacy and global scalability. 

5.⁠ ⁠Such baseless articles overshadow the achievements of Digi Yatra, which has revolutionized air travel in India. In 2024, Digi Yatra crossed 9 million active users, with a daily average of 30,000 app downloads and over 42 million seamless passenger journeys facilitated. This demonstrates the growing trust in Digi Yatra’s cutting-edge technology.  

Khadakbhavi concluded by saying that DigiYatra remains committed to providing seamless air travel and serving citizens with dedication and sincerity.

DigiYatra is a digital initiative coordinated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in India. It utilises facial recognition to verify passenger identities at various checkpoints, such as check-in, security and boarding gates without the need for physical documents. Specific queues and check-ins have also been set up in select airports for passengers, who opt for the seamless travel experience.