Musk and DOGE barred from accessing personal Social Security data by judge
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The Arthur J. Altmeyer Social Security Administration building at the agency's headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland, on Feb. 19. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked Elon Musk and DOGE employees from accessing Americans' personal information in Social Security Administration systems.
Why it matters: More than 65 million Americans receive Social Security, and the administration's databases are full of personal details about recipients.
- The judge ordered DOGE employees to "disgorge and delete" any personally identifiable information that they have that hadn't been anonymized.
- They were also barred from installing software on Social Security Administration devices and ordered to remove any software they have installed since the start of the Trump administration.
What they're saying: "The American public may well applaud and support the Trump Administration's mission to root out fraud, waste, and bloat from federal agencies, including SSA, to the extent it exists," District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander wrote in a 137-page opinion.
- "But, by what means and methods? The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion."
DOGE's operation is "tantamount to hitting a fly with a sledgehammer," Hollander said.
- The administration "never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE team needs unlimited access to SSA's entire record systems, thereby exposing personal, confidential, sensitive and even private information that millions of Americans entrusted to their government," she wrote.
- "Indeed, the government has not even attempted to explain why a more tailored, measured and titrated approach is not suitable to the task."
What's next: The Trump administration was ordered to file a status report by 1pm ET on Monday documenting steps it has taken to comply with the order.
- The order doesn't block DOGE from accessing redacted or anonymized data, but any recipient must be trained on regulations governing private information.
- The White House didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Context: Musk has claimed, without conclusive evidence, that the Social Security system is plagued with fraud.
- The Social Security Administration's top official resigned in February in response to DOGE's access to sensitive information.
- Last month, the agency announced it sought to cut 7,000 of its 57,000 employees through voluntary resignations and a reduction-in-force plan.
Zoom in: In their lawsuit, labor unions argued that DOGE's access to Americans' data posed significant security risks, "including members whose medical records may contain information that carries a stigma."
- The country's most vulnerable citizens rely on the system, including nearly 90% of Americans over 65.
Read the order:
Go deeper: Social Security cuts phone services in bid to address fraud
Editor's note: This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
