Elon Musk’s Advisory DOGE Group Gains Access To Sensitive Treasury Department Data Raising Privacy Concerns

Elon Musk’s non-government Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessed critical data from the Treasury Department, including Social Security and Medicare data, from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

DOGE, originally the U.S. Digital Service Commission created by former President Barack Obama to revamp the government’s use of technology, was renamed by Trump upon his first day in office. DOGE, led by Elon Musk, aims to cut down federal spending by billions of dollars. The group remains outside the government, leading to serious ethical concerns about data privacy.

The move by Bessent grants Musk access to key taxpayer data and trillions of dollars in government payments. 

The Bureau of the Fiscal Service operates the critical systems accessed by DOGE, managing more than $6 trillion each year and impacting tens of millions of Americans. These systems handle essential payments, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, federal salaries, payments to government contractors, tax refunds and more. They are usually overseen by a small group of career employees. It is highly uncommon for individuals linked to political appointees to have access. 

David Lebryk, a Deputy acting Treasury Secretary who served for more than 30 years, suddenly resigned after he refused to allow Musk and DOGE access to sensitive Treasury data. Musk posted on social media platform X, “The @DOGE team discovered, among other things, that payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups. They literally never denied a payment in their entire career. Not even once.” 

A lawsuit filed in federal court claims that DOGE had already been operating before Trump took office, violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act. This act mandates that committees within the executive branch adhere to public disclosure rules regarding staffing and activities. The organizations behind the lawsuit are now investigating the secrecy surrounding DOGE’s operations and the validity of incorporating DOGE into the government.