The recently elected President Donald Trump’s interim and chief executive of the Society Security Administration has suggested closing off the agency. SSA is responsible for managing the essential safety net program for the disabled and elderly. The statement from Lee Dudek came after the federal court barred DOGE from accessing non-anonymized sensitive personal information and data. If you want to know more about the potential threat surrounding the SSA, this article is for you. It brings you everything you need to know about social security being at risk after DOGE’s data access is denied.
Social Security At Risk Over DOGE Data Access: What Lee Dudek Said About The Order?
Lee Dudek, who is the commissioner of the Social Security Administration, mentioned how his anti-fraud team will consist of DOGE affiliates, and his IT Staff will also have DOGE affiliates. He argued that the order from the federal court is really broad. He also added that he would follow the order exactly and terminate all SSA employees’ access to the IT systems. Dudek also stated that he really wants to turn it off and let the federal court decide how it will run a federal agency.
Social Security At Risk Over DOGE Data Access: The Judgement
The threat from Dudek came after a judgment was passed in the federal court issuing a temporary restraint order in the case AFL-CIO labor union filed. The order from the federal court barred DOGE, including Musk and the DOGE team of SSA, from accessing personally identifiable information. It also clearly directed Musk and DOGE to delete all non-anonymized personal data under their possession. The order also barred DOGE from having access to SSA computers or code.
What Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander Said While Passing The Judgment?
The federal court judge Ellen Lipton Hollander passes the order barring DOGE from accessing data. She wrote about how SSA had likely violated administrative as well as privacy laws when it gave DOGE unbridled access to the private data of millions.
The sensitive information is not only limited to Social Security numbers but also includes medical records, mental health records, and hospitalization records. It also includes driver’s license numbers, bank and credit card information, tax information, income history, and work history. Birth and marriage certificates, and home and work address is also included.
She also added the defendants did not identify or articulate even a single reason for needing unlimited access to the data. This exposes the private information of millions of Americans they entrusted to the government.
How Can DOGE Officials Excess Information According To The Order?
The order from Hollander allows DOGE officials to access the information only if they receive standard training meant for employees accessing SSA’s systems. This ensures they are aware of the applicable federal laws, regulations, and policies protecting the privacy of personally identifiable information. To summarise everything in a single line, Musk and DOGE will have to comply with the existing privacy laws.
Office Closures And Other Revoked Services Raises Concerns
Millions of Americans depend on the Social Security Administration and its net safety program for their needs. The current situation of SSA, threats from the commissioner, and DOGE’s moves are raising concerns among the masses. It has already closed multiple SSA offices and decided to revoke phone services for identity verification. All of these decisions have overwhelmed the agency to the point it has started making errors in issuing Social Security checks.
