04.02.2025 12:22
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has been sued due to granting access to payment system data to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk. Unions filed the lawsuit, expressing their concerns about the protection of personal information.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has been sued for granting "access to payment system data" to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by businessman Elon Musk. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Alliance for Retired Americans (ARA), and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C. The petition stated, "Providing full and uninterrupted access to individuals associated with DOGE, without a specified duration, means that there is no assurance that information belonging to all segments of society, including retirees, taxpayers, federal employees, and companies, will be protected under federal law."
ACCESS PERMISSION TO SENSITIVE DATA BECAME A SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION
In the petition, it was alleged that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took "criminal action" against officials to prevent access to sensitive data, highlighting the significant extent of the intrusion into individuals' privacy. It is argued that DOGE's access to sensitive information would support the Trump administration's goal of reducing federal government spending. It is noted that DOGE, led by American businessman and owner of the X social media platform Elon Musk, has access to sensitive data from the Treasury Department, including customer payment systems of the Social Security Administration and federal health services Medicare. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the revocation of the authority granted to DOGE yesterday, warning that Congress would take action otherwise.