Lawsuit Challenges DOGE's Unauthorized Access to SSA Data of Millions

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Controversy Erupts Over DOGE's Access to Social Security Data

Baltimore, MD — A recent lawsuit aims to block DOGE's alleged unauthorized acquisition of personal and sensitive data from the Social Security Administration (SSA). This legal action, initiated by retirees and unions, challenges the access granted by a reportedly unauthorized acting official, thereby bypassing established protocols for such appointments.

The SSA is the custodian of critical data, including financial, employment, medical, and contact information for millions of Americans. The lawsuit contends that DOGE's data access infringes upon protections set forth by the Internal Revenue Code, Privacy Act, Federal Information Systems Modernization Act, E-Government Act, and Administrative Procedure Act, which collectively safeguard against unwarranted data exploitation.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders expressed concerns, stating, “The Social Security Administration holds the financial future of millions of Americans within its doors. Elon Musk is an unelected billionaire who has no right to access the benefits working people have paid into. We won’t allow him to undermine the promise that we can all retire with dignity one day.”

Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, emphasized the trust that seniors place in the government to safeguard their data, insisting, “We urge the court to act and ensure the American people’s data is not misused. We cannot risk the catastrophic consequences should this very personal data fall into the wrong hands.”

Echoing these sentiments, AFT President Randi Weingarten criticized the alleged breach, asserting, “Everyone who receives Social Security has contributed to it, and they expect the government to uphold its end of the bargain. Elon Musk is breaking that basic bond of trust by illegally raiding people’s private data for his own ends.”

Skye Perryman, President & CEO of Democracy Forward, highlighted concerns over data privacy, noting, “Americans across the country should be able to have confidence that the government safeguards their data. Yet, over the course of the last month, we have seen a group of unappointed and unvetted individuals disregard the privacy of hundreds of millions of Americans.”

For more details on the legal proceedings, you can read the complaint here.

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