A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) systems. This decision, made by District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland, comes after a request from unions and retirees who wanted the DOGE’s access restricted. The ruling requires DOGE’s team to delete any personal information they may have obtained from SSA records.
The plaintiffs argued that DOGE’s access to SSA’s extensive data poses serious privacy risks and violates laws meant to protect personal information. They raised concerns that DOGE, led by Elon Musk, could misuse sensitive data, which could harm individuals. A former SSA official who witnessed DOGE’s involvement in the agency expressed serious worries about the exposure of such private information.
The federal government, however, argued that DOGE only had limited access to SSA data, with ten federal employees having read-only access to SSA systems and personal records. But Judge Hollander didn’t agree with the government’s argument. She noted that the DOGE team was essentially searching through SSA data without proper justification, calling their actions a “fishing expedition” based on little more than suspicion.
This statement shows the judge’s doubt about the necessity of DOGE’s access to SSA data. Although government lawyers said that DOGE’s access was similar to standard practices where employees routinely search databases, the plaintiffs’ lawyers pointed out that the level of access given to DOGE was much broader than usual, sparking concerns about privacy.
This case is not an isolated incident. DOGE has been given access to several other government databases, including those of the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Within the SSA, DOGE employees entered the agency right after former President Donald Trump’s inauguration and quickly sought access to data systems that are usually restricted, even to government officials. According to court records from a former SSA official, DOGE’s team was reportedly looking into fraud issues based on inaccurate information, which raised further concerns about their methods.
Judge Hollander, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, is just one of several judges overseeing cases involving DOGE. The department has been involved in nearly two dozen lawsuits, many of which have raised questions about its secretive operations and unclear personnel.
These legal challenges highlight the ongoing concerns about DOGE’s role in reducing government waste and fraud and whether its practices might harm privacy and security.
While some judges have expressed concerns about DOGE’s cost-cutting initiatives, they have not always agreed that the team’s access should be blocked. This case brings up important questions about how government agencies balance efficiency with privacy protection, as there’s a growing debate about whether the government’s push to reduce waste is worth compromising the safety of personal information.
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