Ethical Hacking News
India's proposed tax backdoors have sparked global concern over digital rights and cybersecurity. With sweeping powers granted to tax authorities, the country risks becoming a model for warrantless surveillance, threatening data protection worldwide. Will India's plans be implemented, or will it take a different path? The future of global cybersecurity hangs in the balance as governments around the world watch this development closely.
India proposes sweeping changes to tax laws granting tax authorities access to private email systems and applications. The proposed law has been labeled as "warrantless surveillance" by critics, who argue it would give the government unprecedented powers to monitor citizens' online activities without consent or knowledge. The Indian government claims the provisions are needed for modernizing tax laws in the digital age, but lacks details on how authorities would access private email systems and applications. The law could set a precedent for other countries, raising global cybersecurity and data protection concerns. India's tax authorities will start cracking virtual digital spaces in 2026 if the bill passes in its current form.
India, a country with a vast and diverse population, has recently proposed sweeping changes to its tax laws that would grant its tax authorities unprecedented access to private email systems and applications. The proposal emerged in the search and seizure provisions of a tax bill, which at section 247 requires citizens to provide tax authorities with access to their physical and digital records.
According to the section, tax authorities have the power to "gain access by overriding the access code to any said computer system, or virtual digital space, where the access code thereof is not available." This definition of "virtual digital space" includes a wide range of platforms and services, such as email servers, social media accounts, online banking systems, and digital application platforms.
Critics have labeled the proposed law as warrantless surveillance, arguing that it would give the Indian government unprecedented powers to monitor its citizens' online activities without their consent or knowledge. The main opposition party, Congress, has described the provisions as "nothing but the government trying to take control through the backdoor."
In contrast, the Indian government has stated that the provisions are needed to modernize tax laws for the digital age. However, this claim is difficult to verify, given that the bill does not provide any details on how tax authorities would access private email systems and applications.
The implications of this proposal go beyond India's borders, as it raises concerns about global cybersecurity and data protection. If enacted, the law could set a precedent for other countries to follow suit, potentially leading to a slippery slope where governments worldwide gain unfettered access to citizens' digital lives.
Furthermore, the proposed law has sparked debate within India itself, with some arguing that it would be an overreach of government power and others supporting its implementation as a necessary measure to crack down on tax evasion. The bill is currently subject to further debate before becoming law, but if passed in its current form, India's tax authorities will start cracking virtual digital spaces in 2026.
Meanwhile, other cybersecurity-related news stories have emerged from around the world. NTT Communications, a Japanese telecoms giant, has warned that information about services for corporate customers stored in its Order Information Distribution System may have leaked. The company detected unauthorized access to systems on February 5th and again on the 15th, with data on almost 18,000 customers' mobile phone contracts thought to be at risk.
In contrast, Malaysia has taken a step towards creating its own AI chips by teaming up with British chip designer Arm. The new relationship will reportedly see Malaysia pay $250 million over a decade to license Arm designs with the aim of creating AI accelerators for export. Arm will help train 10,000 semiconductor designers under the agreement.
In other news, Samsung has settled the pay dispute with striking workers in South Korea that caused the first-ever strike in the company's history. The deal includes a 5.1 percent pay raise, discount vouchers for Samsung products, and some shares.
Vietnam's government has also announced plans to pilot trading in cryptocurrency and other digital assets. The nation currently lacks laws defining digi-dollars, so while many citizens hold cryptocurrencies local companies that facilitate dabbling in the instruments are apparently registering offshore. Vietnam feels that represents a potential loss of competitive advantage, so these pilots are seen as a way to bring more action onshore.
Lastly, Apple has rearranged its XNU kernel with exclaves, compartmentalizing it for the sake of security. The move aims to prevent malicious code from spreading across the operating system.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Indias-Proposed-Tax-Backdoors-A-Threat-to-Digital-Rights-and-Global-Cybersecurity-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/03/09/asia_tech_news_roundup/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/tech-companies/india-wants-backdoors-into-clouds-email-saas-for-tax-inspectors/ar-AA1AzDKY
https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/no-april-fool-tax-officials-can-raid-your-emails-social-media-from-next-year-2690440-2025-03-07
Published: Sun Mar 9 19:48:00 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
