India’s government is proposing a bill to change tax law to allow broad access to taxpayer data when searches are conducted. This would include authorities having access to taxpayer emails, investment and bank accounts, and social media, which puts people at risk for harassment and unwarranted scrutiny.
Well beyond operational efficiency, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has just asked the Internal Revenue System (IRS) for access to accounts in the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS) which holds individual personal ID numbers and bank account information for taxpayers and businesses. Scarily, those with access can also enter and adjust transaction data. Even if this were to promote efficiency, why do it in the midst of tax season – and why at all?
Stop, stay, and strike seem to be watchwords the Trump administration and states are using for privacy regulations that had been underway when Republicans took over. Among changes: 1) a freeze on the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) rule the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had finalized; 2) recommended postponement of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Rule, which as of April was intended to prohibit sales or licensing of sensitive data to countries of concern (including Russia and China); and 3) rescinding the “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use... Read More >
Preliminary findings by the European Commission state that Apple and Google are in violation of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Among the findings, Google Search is accused of prioritizing Google’s own products and services in results; Apple is instructed to improve interoperability between iOS and third-party devices. The companies now have an opportunity to respond.