A report from Wired indicates that at least one agency is monitoring the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration. According to the publication, which references government records and sources, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) initiated an investigation in March to examine how Elon Musk’s pseudo-agency is managing data across various governmental departments.
As detailed in the report, the GAO has requested information from several agencies where DOGE has established a presence, including the Social Security Administration, the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Labor, and the Treasury. These requests encompass any incident reports regarding the “potential or actual misuse of agency systems or data,” as well as documentation of systems accessed by DOGE, among other specifics.
This audit represents the first notable challenge to DOGE’s operations outside of the judicial system. Wired reports that the investigation is set to conclude by the end of spring, ultimately producing a publicly available report. The investigation primarily targets DOGE’s compliance with privacy and data protection laws and regulations. This probe appears to be driven by requests from multiple agencies, suggesting lingering skepticism about the activities of Musk and the DOGE team within these departments.
The results of the GAO report remain forthcoming, yet DOGE is reportedly operating on a “move fast and break things” methodology, eager to obtain as much data as possible. Earlier revelations highlighted DOGE’s intention to develop a system facilitating easier access to taxpayer data. The group has seemingly been eager to collect personal information while navigating through government systems. A recent article from the New York Times detailed the extent of data that DOGE may have acquired, which includes over 314 data points like medical notes, credit history, and biometric identifiers.
Efforts to curtail DOGE’s access have seen mixed results. Although some courts have temporarily blocked DOGE from accessing specific information, higher courts have authorized it to proceed, leaving little hope that the Supreme Court will intervene. It remains uncertain if the GAO report will uncover misconduct or a disregard for regulations sufficient to halt DOGE’s progress, as the current trajectory seems difficult to reverse.
