IRS denies using emails to target taxpayers
Published April 12, 2013
FoxNews.com
With less than three days to go before federal taxes are due, the Internal Revenue Service is denying claims that it wants to snoop on taxpayers by reading their emails and monitoring other forms of electronic communication without a warrant.
“Respecting taxpayer rights and taxpayer privacy are cornerstone principles for the IRS,” the agency said in a statement. “Our job is to administer the nation’s tax laws, and we do so in a way that follows the law and treats taxpayers with respect.”
It continued: “Contrary to some suggestions, the IRS does not use emails to target taxpayers. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong.”
The statement comes after the American Civil Liberties Union said this week that internal documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that agents were told they didn’t need a warrant to root through emails, texts or Facebook pages of people it is investigating. The ACLU and other privacy groups disagreed with that rationale and say by bypassing warrants, the Tax Man is violating the Fourth Amendment.