The post Elon Musk’s DOGE Under Fire: Privacy Concerns Amid Lawsuit Against US Treasury appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News
The largest federation of unions in the United States, AFL-CIO, has filed a lawsuit against the US Treasury, alleging that the department has illegally shared US citizens’ sensitive data with the Department of Government Efficiency, led by the highly influential American business leader Elon Musk.
Prominent US senators, like Ron Wyden, Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, have expressed strong opposition to the treasury department’s action. Some senior Democratic senators are preparing to bring in a law to restrict DOGE’s access to the US public data framework. Here is everything you should know.
AFL-CIO Sues Treasury Over Data Sharing
The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations has filed a lawsuit against Scott Bessent, the secretary of the US Treasury Department. The most prominent federation of unions has accused the US Treasury of sharing US citizens’ personal data, including Social Security numbers and bank information, with the US Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk.
What Is D.O.G.E and Why Is Musk Involved?
The executive order announcing the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency was one of the prominent orders that Trump signed in his initial days of his second term as the President. It was in November, 2024, that Trump initially introduced the concept.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were supposed to lead DOGE jointly, but the latter chose not to take up the position, citing political reasons.
DOGE was presented in the early stage as an external committee to provide recommendations to slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures and restructure federal agencies.
In contrast, according to the Executive Order, DOGE will be an internal committee and will help the President implement his DOGE agenda by modernising federal technology and software to maximise governmental efficiency and productivity.
Notably, in the EO, there is no mention of how the department contributes to cutting federal spending.
Alarming Claims About DOGE’s Data Access
Ronald Lee Wyden, an US senator and a Democratic Party leader, has alleged that the newly created US Department of Government Efficiency has complete access to the country’s payment framework, which handles sensitive data, such as Social Security numbers and bank information.
Political Backlash from Top Democrats against Musk’s DOGE
Senior Democratic senators, Charles Ellis Schumer and Elizabeth Ann Warren, have strongly criticised the action of the US Treasury, calling DOGE’s unrestricted access to US citizens’ personal data a serious threat to privacy.
Reports suggest that Schmer is preparing to introduce a legislation, demanding the introduction of a provision to limit the control of DOGE over the US treasury and the US public data.
As the lawsuit unfolds, questions about privacy, government oversight, and Elon Musk’s influence over federal operations continue to grow.
