In a major legal setback for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Social Security Administration (SSA) likely violated privacy laws by granting Musk’s aides unrestricted access to sensitive data belonging to millions of Americans. U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued an immediate order halting further sharing of records, citing concerns about the potential intrusion into the personal affairs of U.S. citizens.
Judge Hollander emphasized the importance of rooting out fraud and mismanagement in government programs but made it clear that such efforts could not come at the cost of violating privacy laws. She stated, “While addressing fraud and waste is a legitimate goal, it does not justify ignoring the law to achieve it.”
The case has uncovered the extent of access DOGE staffers were granted to personal information in SSA’s vast databases, including Social Security numbers, medical records, tax data, and other sensitive information. The SSA administers benefits for millions of Americans, including the elderly and disabled, and its records are among the most personal and confidential in the government.
The controversy centers around the decision by SSA officials to give 10 DOGE staffers unfettered access to these records, something Judge Hollander described as a “fishing expedition” based on little more than suspicion. She pointed out that the team was searching for fraud without concrete evidence that it even existed.
One of the most sensitive systems accessed by DOGE is Numident, the database containing information on everyone who has applied for or been assigned a Social Security number. Often referred to as the “crown jewels” of the SSA, Numident contains invaluable personal data, and its breach has raised alarm among privacy advocates.
This ruling follows another significant legal defeat for Musk’s team. Just days earlier, a federal judge ruled that DOGE’s efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were likely illegal due to Musk’s position as a non-Senate-confirmed cabinet official.
In response to the court’s decision, White House spokesman Harrison Fields condemned the ruling, accusing the judge of overstepping and undermining the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce waste and fraud in government. “This is yet another activist judge abusing the judicial system to try and sabotage the President’s attempts to rid the government of waste, fraud, and abuse,” Fields said.
However, privacy advocates praised the ruling as an important win for data security. Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, stated, “Today, the court did what accountability demands – forcing DOGE to delete every trace of the data it unlawfully accessed.”
The controversy over the privacy violations stems from the broad scope of access granted to DOGE staffers, which included access to personal information spanning decades, dating back to the SSA’s founding in the 1930s. This data includes not only Social Security numbers but also sensitive information such as bank account details, medical records, employment history, and tax information.
In response to the ruling, SSA acting head Leland Dudek expressed concerns about the broad nature of the injunction, stating that it could apply to all SSA employees, including those working on anti-fraud initiatives. He said he would seek clarification from the court.
Musk’s DOGE team, which has been tasked with identifying waste, fraud, and inefficiency in government programs, had already been blocked from accessing sensitive systems at the Treasury Department. Despite this, the group has continued its operations at other agencies, including the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Energy.
This legal battle continues to raise questions about the balance between government efficiency and individual privacy, with advocates calling for stricter safeguards to protect Americans’ personal information.
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