Social Security data denied access to Doge, following judge's notions of an unwarranted data-mining operation.
The Unauthorized Intrusion of DOGE at SSA:
On a tumultuous Thursday, Judge Ellen Hollander vehemently barred the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), spearheaded by none other than the enigmatic Elon Musk, from roaming unfettered through Social Security Administration (SSA) data repositories swarming with individuals' sensitive personal information.
In an extensive, stinging 137-page decision, Judge Hollander tore into the administration for failing to prove the necessity of granting such sweeping access to the profoundly confidential data of millions of Americans—an issue mandated by the relevant law.
"DOGE is dredging through the intestines of the SSA, hunting for a fraud pandemic, hanging by little more than a thread of suspicion," Hollander wrote with biting sarcasm. "They're on a wild goose chase for the proverbial needle in the haystack without a shred of evidence that the needle is buried among the straw."
Her temporary restraining order also called for DOGE affiliates to jettison any private data pilfered from the agency and removed any installed software from its systems. That said, DOGE affiliates were given permission to possess Social Security data that had been redacted or stripped of personal identifiers—but only under the condition they received proper training and cleared a backdrop check.
The Union's Persistent Fight:
The lawsuit, instigated by federal employee unions and a retiree association, is but one in a series challenging DOGE's claws into safeguarded data banks across various departments—only a smattering of which have given rise to court rulings that have curtailed the government's ambitious dig into these records.
Hollander also took issue with the insufficient training DOGE affiliates received and the administration's tardiness in furnishing background investigations for some of them before granting them the esteemed possession of Rube Goldberg-esque SSA systems. These systems nurture the secrets of millions of Americans, including medical records, bank account numbers, and tax figures, she explained, labeling DOGE's behavior an "overstepping intrusion into the personal affairs of millions of Americans."
On the Trail of Kennedy Files:
Judge Hollander also reprimanded the administration for keeping secret the identities of DOGE affiliates, expressing concern that they could come under unsavory attack. Ironically, she pointed out, her ruling came on the trail of news that the Social Security numbers of approximately 200 people had found their way into the spotlight with the launch of the John F. Kennedy assassination files.
"Although this access was accorded to the DOGE team rather than having been broadcast publicly, the outrage surrounding the release of SSNs in relation to the Kennedy files supports the conclusion that there is an expectation of privacy for SSNs," she wrote.
Hollander stated that the plaintiffs had succeeded in proving that the administration had likely flouted the Privacy Act, which stipulates that for an employee to access an agency’s sensitive records, they must demonstrate a "need for the record in the performance of their duties."
At a hearing last week, the Justice Department, defending the administration, apparently offered no substantial explanation as to why the DOGE Team required unparalleled, unregulated access to almost all of the SSA’s information pools to achieve their objectives of modernizing technology, maximizing efficiency, and rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
"Defendants have not submitted declarations from the DOGE Team's expert personnel explaining why such extensive, unbridled access is indispensable," she wrote, pointing out the disquieting silence on the matter. "They have not articulated specific reasons as to how or why almost entirely the SSA’s data storehouse is indispensable for their investigation, or why redacted or anonymized records, initially at least, would be insufficient."
- Judge Hollander's temporary restraining order compels DOGE affiliates to discard any pilfered private data from the SSA and to remove any installed software from their systems, as she questions their need for unregulated access to sensitive personal information.
- Hollander, in her ruling, asserts that the DOGE team's extensive access to the SSA's data repositories was not justified, as they failed to present evidence demonstrating the necessity of such access, as mandated by law.
- The plaintiffs, in their lawsuit, have successfully demonstrated that the administration may have violated the Privacy Act, as the DOGE team's requested unrestricted access to nearly all SSA data did not appear to be indispensable for their duties, as stipulated by the Act.
