On Thursday, a federal judge temporarily barred Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Social Security systems containing personal data of millions of Americans, describing their activities as a “fishing expedition.” The ruling mandates the deletion of any personally identifiable data in DOGE’s possession.
U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland noted that the team had gained extensive access to sensitive information at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in an effort to uncover fraud, without sufficient justification. She stated, “The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion.”
The order permits DOGE staff to access redacted or non-personal data, provided they undertake necessary training and background checks. Judge Hollander emphasized the importance of addressing potential fraud, waste, and mismanagement within the SSA but cautioned against disregarding legal protocols in the process.
The Trump administration maintains that DOGE is addressing federal government inefficiencies, with Musk specifically targeting Social Security due to its alleged susceptibility to fraud, characterizing the program as a “ponzi scheme” and advocating for the reduction of government spending through waste management.
The decision, which may be appealed, follows a lawsuit from labor unions, retirees, and Democracy Forward, which asserted that DOGE’s access violated privacy laws and posed significant information security risks. Former Social Security officials expressed concerns about the exposure of sensitive information due to DOGE’s interventions.
The White House had not provided a response at the time of the report.
Court documents revealed that DOGE comprised a 10-member team at the SSA, with seven members granted read-only access to agency systems or personally identifiable information. The government argued that all staff were federal employees authorized to access the data under federal privacy laws, stating there was no evidence of improper data sharing.
The Justice Department indicated that DOGE’s access was not considerably different from standard practices within the agency, where employees regularly explore its databases. Meanwhile, attorneys representing the plaintiffs deemed such access unprecedented.
Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, hailed the ruling as a “major win for working people and retirees across the country.” Skye Perryman, president of Democracy Forward, remarked that “the court recognized the real and immediate dangers of DOGE’s reckless actions and took action to stop it.”
DOGE has previously secured access to other government databases, including those at the Treasury Department and the IRS. At the SSA, DOGE staff entered the agency shortly after Trump’s inauguration, swiftly seeking access to data systems typically restricted within the government, one former official detailed in court filings. The team’s efforts to find fraud reportedly stemmed from inaccuracies and misinterpretations, according to Tiffany Flick, ex-acting chief of staff to the acting commissioner.
Judge Hollander, based in Baltimore and appointed by President Barack Obama, is the latest judge to evaluate a case related to DOGE. The team is presently involved in nearly two dozen lawsuits. Recently, another Maryland judge deemed DOGE’s dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development likely unconstitutional. Although other judges have raised concerns regarding DOGE’s extensive cost-cutting measures, they have not always regarded the potential risks as pressing enough to bar the team from government systems.
