Info Revealed: Data Possibly Collected by Elon Musk's DOGE Regarding You and Your Loved Ones
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is causing a stir in the political and technological spheres due to its potential access to a vast trove of sensitive information about the average American. This access is enabled via executive orders signed by President Trump, allowing DOGE to interact with key federal systems, including payment systems, despite legal challenges and privacy concerns.
The data systems targeted by DOGE include those managed by various federal agencies, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, General Services Administration, and Office of Personnel Management. The New York Times report suggests that this effort could result in a kind of data trove about Americans that the government has never had before, potentially including credit and debit card numbers, employer's name, IP address, high school and college attended, medical and academic records, tax history, credit history, health history, employment history, and much more.
However, the extent of access to sensitive information has raised ethical and security concerns. Reports have highlighted conflicting information regarding Musk’s security clearance and safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest given Musk’s extensive private business ventures. A federal judge temporarily limited DOGE's access to three federal agencies (the Treasury, the Department of Education, and the Office of Personnel Management) last month, but an appeals court reinstated the organization's access to those agencies just two days ago.
The background to DOGE’s creation includes discussions between Musk and Trump in 2024 about forming a body to modernize IT, maximize productivity, cut regulations and spending, and consolidate federal agencies. Musk and allies have claimed potential to cut trillions of dollars in federal spending through this effort.
Despite the potential benefits, the setup gives Musk’s office unprecedented technical and informational capabilities within the federal government aimed at government efficiency but also raises significant privacy and oversight concerns. The Trump administration is attempting to centralize datasets from various government agencies, potentially creating a comprehensive government database about Americans, which could be a cause for concern for many.
In summary:
* DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is potentially accessing sensitive information about the average American, including personal data such as Social Security numbers and financial data in federal payment systems. * This access is facilitated via executive orders signed by President Trump and allows DOGE to interact with key federal systems, despite legal challenges and privacy concerns. * The data access raises concerns about privacy and the creation of a comprehensive government database about Americans. * A federal judge temporarily limited DOGE's access to three federal agencies, but an appeals court reinstated the organization's access just two days ago. * The setup gives Musk’s office unprecedented technical and informational capabilities within the federal government aimed at government efficiency but also raises significant privacy and oversight concerns.
- Gizmodo reported on the controversial future of DOGE, led by Elon Musk, which is causing a stir in the tech and general news spheres due to its potential access to a vast trove of sensitive information about Americans, including credit and debit card numbers, employer's name, IP address, educational history, tax history, credit history, health history, employment history, and more.
- Education-and-self-development platforms have raised alarms about the ethical and security concerns associated with DOGE's access to sensitive information, particularly since the organization has yet to clarify the safeguards in place to prevent conflicts of interest given Musk’s extensive private business ventures.
- As discussions between Musk and Trump in 2024 focused on forming a body to modernize IT and consolidate federal agencies, the Trump administration's centralization of datasets from various government agencies could potentially lead to the creation of a comprehensive government database about Americans, raising significant privacy and oversight concerns in the technology and education-and-self-development sectors.
