ACLU Warns DOGE’s ‘Unchecked’ Access Could Violate Federal Law
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Summary
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has accused Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of seizing control of several federal computer systems that house tightly restricted data, in some cases in a way that may be illegal and unconstitutional.
DOGE has taken control of personnel files for nearly two million federal employees, as well as offices that provide the government with software and IT services.
Use of sensitive data as part of an ideologically driven purge of the government may violate federal law, including the Privacy Act and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, while granting access to “troves” of personal information, including bank accounts and finances.
The ACLU has filed Freedom of Information requests and is prepared to pursue legal action to obtain the files and determine whether private financial, medical and personal records are being accessed illegally.