A federal judge blocked DOGE’s access to personal information of citizens, claiming it violates data protection laws, after a lawsuit by unions and government benefits recipients

A federal judge blocked the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from accessing personal information being transferred to the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. The court ruling, made in response to a lawsuit filed by unions and government benefits recipients, points to a violation of federal laws protecting personal data. The judge noted that providing DOGE with information such as social security numbers and other sensitive data could cause irreparable harm. Additionally, the government failed to prove the necessity of DOGE’s access to this data.