DOGE hasn’t accessed legally protected tax data, administration says in privacy suit response

Summary: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) workers at the Department of Education are accused of potentially violating federal law by accessing protected tax information during their audit of student loan programs. In response to a lawsuit, the Department has suspended access for DOGE staff until a court ruling. Legal debates are ongoing regarding the balance of necessary data access for efficiency efforts and the violations of privacy laws.

Affected: Department of Education, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

Keypoints :

• DOGE workers have not accessed federally protected tax information yet, according to the Trump administration.
• A legal suit claims DOGE’s access to student financial aid databases violates the federal Privacy Act and the Internal Revenue Code.
• The Department of Education has temporarily barred DOGE from accessing sensitive data pending a judicial ruling.
• The situation has incited multiple lawsuits against DOGE from various stakeholders, including advocacy groups and state attorneys general.
• Concerns raised by Senator Ron Wyden suggest that DOGE may have access to vast taxpayer data at the IRS, raising potential privacy risks.