In April, the United States found itself amid a self-inflicted trade war and a constitutional crisis concerning immigration, presenting multifaceted challenges. These events have been intense enough to overshadow Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which nonetheless remains significant.
DOGE continues to impact government infrastructure, having recently progressed to a new phase focused heavily on data. The initial phase, characterized by reducing federal workers and contracts, appears to be winding down. Now, the emphasis has shifted toward the extensive data to which the United States has unparalleled access. From the inception of DOGE, acquiring as much data as possible was a clear objective. Through various resignations, firings, and legal battles, DOGE has largely achieved this aim.
The precise actions and intentions of DOGE’s engineers concerning the data they have accessed remain unclear. Despite Elon Musk’s assertions, DOGE maintains a high degree of secrecy. However, recent accounts, including those from WIRED, suggest that for DOGE, data serves both as a tool and as a weapon.
For instance, DOGE associates collaborated with leading engineers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Palantir in pursuit of creating a “mega API.” This API is intended to consolidate previously separated IRS data, making it accessible in a unified manner. While this might seem benign in isolation, the potential for agencies or authorized external entities to access sensitive citizen information through this API raises concerns about DOGE’s objectives. Notably, the IRS has already begun sharing data, as seen in a recent agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, which involves providing detailed information about undocumented immigrants.
This strategy aligns with broader governmental moves, such as President Donald Trump’s initiatives related to deportations, leveraging taxpayer data for immigration enforcement. Beyond the IRS, DOGE’s influence extends to various government agencies like the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Social Security Administration, using their segregated data to assist in identifying undocumented immigrants. According to a WIRED report, DOGE has also obtained access to sensitive information about immigrants and farm workers at the Department of Labor.
Furthermore, data does not exclusively remain within government confines. An NPR report highlighted a whistleblower from the National Labor Relations Board who observed increased data transmissions leaving the agency after DOGE accessed its systems, with the destinations unaccounted for. The whistleblower also alleged that DOGE operatives might have attempted to conceal their actions by disabling or bypassing monitoring tools. However, an NLRB spokesperson denied DOGE’s system access to NPR.
