‘Assault on rights’: Mohandas Pai lashes out at new income tax rule that may let officers monitor your emails and more

Former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Wednesday said income tax officers being able to access a taxpayer's social media account and email starting the next financial year 2026-27, is an “assault on our rights.”

The ex-Infosys top official shared a news report on the matter and said the government should provide taxpayers with a safety net to prevent misuse.

He also suggested that officials obtain a court order before the alleged new rule gets implemented.

“Your email and social media account can be accessed by income tax officers starting next financial year in these cases -This is an assault on our rights! Govt should provide safeguards against misuse, get a court order before this,” Pai said in a post on X.

He also tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his post.

Taxmen to access your email and social media?

According to the report by The Economic Times, shared by Mohandas Pai, the income tax department will essentially have the legal authority to gain access to taxpayers' social media accounts, emails, bank accounts, trading accounts and more.

The new income tax rule may come into effect from April 1, 2026, according to the report.

Tax officials can access accounts if they suspect an individual has evaded income tax or owns any undisclosed income, money, gold, jewellery, or valuable item or property.

Under the existing rules of the Income Tax Act, 1961, authorised personnel are permitted to break into your house, locker or office to find if you have any undisclosed assets.

ET reported that this power now extends to the digital realm, citing the New Income Tax Bill recently tabled in the Parliament.

According to Clause 247 of the Income Tax bill, an authorised officer can “break open the lock of any door, box, locker, safe, almirah, or other receptacle for exercising the powers conferred by clause (i), to enter and search any building, place, etc., where the keys thereof or the access to such building, place, etc., is not available, or gain access by overriding the access code to any said computer system, or virtual digital space, where the access code thereof is not available” provided they have reason to raise suspicion, the newspaper said.

This could potentially mean that officers may legally gain access to personal emails, trading and bank accounts and social media accounts.