Judge Blocks DOGE From Accessing Social Security Data

A federal judge has ordered Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team to immediately stop accessing personal Social Security Administration data and delete all information they’ve already collected, dealing a significant blow to the team’s government waste investigation.

Key Takeaways

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander issued a temporary restraining order blocking DOGE from accessing Social Security Administration databases containing sensitive personal information.
The judge ordered DOGE to delete all personally identifiable information already collected and criticized their actions as a “fishing expedition” without proper justification.
Labor unions successfully argued that DOGE’s access violated privacy laws and created significant security risks for millions of Americans’ sensitive data.
DOGE, a 10-person team led by Elon Musk, was granted read-only access to target waste and fraud but without proper vetting or protocols according to the court.
The White House criticized the ruling as obstructing President Trump’s efforts to eliminate government waste and fraud.

Judge Blocks Access and Orders Data Deletion

U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander in Maryland has temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing Social Security Administration systems containing personal data on millions of Americans. The ruling requires DOGE to delete any personally identifiable information already gathered from SSA databases. Labor unions and retirees had requested the emergency order, citing violations of the Privacy Act and serious information security concerns about the handling of sensitive personal data by Musk’s team.

The judge was particularly critical of DOGE’s approach, characterizing their data collection as overreaching and unjustified. “The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” Judge Hollander wrote in her decision. The court emphasized that while fighting waste and fraud is important, it doesn’t authorize the government to “flout the law” to achieve those goals.

Judge BLOCKS DOGE from getting Social Security records

Federal judge says 'DOGE Team essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA'

New restraining order is temporary pic.twitter.com/3dfrbykoZ3

— RT (@RT_com) March 20, 2025

Privacy Concerns and Security Risks

The lawsuit revealed that DOGE members had been granted access to highly sensitive SSA databases containing Social Security numbers, medical records, banking information, and other personal data of millions of Americans. Court documents showed the team began accessing this information shortly after President Trump’s inauguration, seeking expedited access to restricted data systems. The court found that the government failed to implement proper protocols for hiring, training, and limiting access.

“The defense does not appear to share a privacy concern for the millions of Americans whose SSA records were made available to the DOGE affiliates, without their consent, and which contain sensitive, confidential, and personally identifiable information,” Ellen Hollander said.

Government attorneys argued that DOGE’s access was consistent with normal agency practices and that concerns about improper data disclosure were merely speculative. However, Judge Hollander found that the unions challenging DOGE’s access were likely to succeed in their claims of Privacy Act violations. The ruling highlighted concerns about DOGE’s compliance with federal laws protecting private information and the apparent lack of proper vetting for team members with access to sensitive databases.

Leadership Changes and Administration Response

The controversy has already caused significant upheaval at the Social Security Administration. Former SSA acting head Michelle King resigned over DOGE’s database access efforts and was replaced by Leland Dudek, who reportedly supports the team’s mission. Labor unions viewed the court order as a major victory for protecting Americans’ personal information from potential misuse or security breaches.

“This is a major win for working people and retirees across the country. The court saw that Elon Musk and his unqualified lackeys present a grave danger to Social Security and have illegally accessed the data of millions of Americans,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said.

The White House pushed back against the ruling, with spokesperson Harrison Fields calling it the work of “another activist judge abusing the judicial system to try and sabotage the President’s attempts to rid the government of waste, fraud, and abuse.” DOGE’s activities have faced growing legal scrutiny, with nearly two dozen lawsuits filed against the team. The SSA case is just the latest challenge to the team’s efforts to access government databases across multiple agencies, including previous activity at the Treasury Department and IRS.