US Appeals Court Reinstates Access To Personal Data For Elon Musk's DOGE

A federal appeals court on Monday temporarily allowed Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to resume accessing Americans' private data held by three key federal agencies --Treasury and Education Departments and the Office of Personnel Management.

In a 2-1 decision, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold a March 24 ruling by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, who had initially blocked the department's access to the data, Reuters reported.

The court's action came as the government moves forward with its appeal. Judge Boardman's decision last month had issued a preliminary injunction, stating that the government had not sufficiently justified the need for DOGE to access such sensitive information.

However, in their ruling, the appeals court panel expressed doubt that the plaintiffs had a strong legal case or the standing to pursue the matter further.

"Each plaintiff's information is one row in various databases that are millions upon millions of rows long," Circuit Judge Julius Richardson, a Trump appointee, stated. "The harm that might come from granting database access to an additional handful of government employees -- prone as they may be to hacks or leaks, as the plaintiffs have alleged --strikes me as different in kind, not just in degree, from the harm inflicted by reporters, detectives, and paparazzi."

A dissenting judge, however, raised concerns, warning that granting DOGE access to personal data could set a dangerous precedent and lead to privacy violations, stating it "lets the proverbial genie out of the bottle."

The court has expedited the appeal process and scheduled oral arguments for May 5.

Challenging DOGE Actions

The legal challenge stems from claims by five labor organizations, led by the American Federation of Teachers, with six military veterans, accusing the Trump administration of breaching federal privacy laws.

They argue that Musk's team was granted access to personal data without proper oversight or justification. The sensitive information involved includes citizens' Social Security numbers, income details, addresses, and other personal data stored in federal systems, some of which are used to administer federal benefits like Social Security payments and student loans.

The lawsuit also received support from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Associated Press reported.

Concerns About Privacy

Critics of DOGE's access have raised alarms about the potential misuse of this sensitive information. Some fear it could be used for political purposes, particularly in relation to President Donald Trump's immigration policies.

"We fear this decision will now greenlight a massive data hack that will be exploited by outsiders, transferred to private servers and fed into AI software," Randi Weingarten, president of the teachers' union, said. "We are confident our case will succeed on the merits."

However, the Trump administration has defended the DOGE's actions, claiming the department's efforts are focused on addressing government waste and alleged fraud, while also modernizing federal systems.