Court Blocks Data Transfer to Musk's 'Dept of Government Efficiency'

Federal Court Blocks Data Transfer to Musk's Department

WASHINGTON—In a recent development, a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the transfer of private data to Elon Musk's 'Department of Government Efficiency'. This decision follows an earlier temporary restraining order, and it affects the Education Department, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of the Treasury. The injunction prevents these departments from sharing personal information.

According to AFT President Randi Weingarten, the court's ruling is a crucial measure to protect Americans' privacy. She stated that the actions of Musk's team were compromising the privacy of millions. "Every day, when Americans apply for a student loan or financial aid for their kids, they hand over their information to the government in good faith because they expect it to be safeguarded and used only for the purposes it was intended," Weingarten explained. "They do not expect it to be transferred to a third party, rifled through by outsiders or fed into AI software."

Weingarten further emphasized the importance of this decision by saying, “This is the United States, not Putin’s Russia, and Americans still believe our government should preserve freedom and privacy. Musk and DOGE must be held to account, and this preliminary injunction is a significant and important step forward.”

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The AFT, representing 1.8 million members, includes pre-K to 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, higher education faculty, government employees, healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.