Six weeks ago, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) shared an analysis of two lawsuits concerning alleged privacy violations by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). These cases involved DOGE's access to sensitive individual information from federal administrative data. Since then, 14 additional lawsuits have been filed, alleging breaches of six privacy statutes across eight federal agencies.
In response to this evolving situation, CDT collaborated with The Leadership Conference’s Center for Civil Rights and Technology to produce a fact sheet. This document examines core issues related to DOGE's attempts to access and utilize sensitive information held by federal agencies. It includes details on:
- Federal privacy protections involved,
- Reported security incidents at DOGE,
- Examples of sensitive data potentially accessed,
- The impact of DOGE's use of AI on government data.
The report emphasizes that "the first step to ensuring that sensitive data provided to the federal government by tax filers, student loan borrowers, Social Security recipients, and other individuals is not only accessed legally but is also safeguarded and used responsibly" requires increased understanding and transparency regarding DOGE's activities.