Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Being Sued Under the Privacy Act: What to Know
1 min read
Summary
Since Elon Musk’s appointment as CEO of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), concerns have grown about the department’s access to US federal data.
Recently fired Trump administration appointees have given DOGE access to data at the Office of Personnel Management, Treasury, Education, FEMA, and Labor, among others, with access to taxpayer data at the IRS currently being sought.
Lawsuits have been filed to prevent DOGE’s access to US federal data, with all of them relying at least in part on the Privacy Act of 1974, which limits how the federal government can collect, use, and share information on US citizens.
The law lets people access government records, correct those records if they contain errors, requires agencies to limit information collection and protect data from hackers, and restricts how agency employees and third parties can access records.
The Trump administration says DOGE employees need access to this data to eliminate wasteful government spending.
Only time will tell whether the Privacy Act will be enough to stop DOGE.
