ACLU Warns DOGE’s ‘Unchecked’ Access Could Violate Federal Law
The US Union of Civil Freedoms (ACLU) told federal legislators on Friday that Elon Musk and its Ministry of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have seized control over a number of federal computer systems, which contained data tightly limited in accordance with federal laws. In some cases, any deviations as the data are used can be not only illegal, ACLU says, but also unconstitutional.
DOGE operatives penetrated or controlled by a number of federal agencies that are responsible for managing personnel files for almost two million federal employees, as well as offices that provide the government with a wide range of software and information technology services.
The unauthorized use of confidential or personally identified data in the framework of the efforts to purify the government of ideologically unfulfilled employees may be a violation of the federal law. The law on confidentiality and the Federal Law on the modernization of information security are strictly prohibited, for example, unauthorized access and use of state personnel data.
In a letter to the members of several committees for supervision of the Congress, ACLU lawyers emphasized the reinforced worker access to the treasury systems that process the “majority” of federal payments, which include details on social security benefits, tax reimbursement and wages. Referring to Wired Reporting from Tuesday, lawyers note that, in addition to suffocation of financing to specific agencies or private individuals, this provides access to access to “Troves of Personal Information”, including “millions of social insurance rooms, bank accounts, business financials and personal finances “.
Lawyers write: “Access and abuse – that information can harm millions of people. Young engineers who do not have experience in the field of human resources, state benefits or legal requirements related to confidentiality received unprecedented monitoring of payments to federal employees, recipients of social security and small business – and with it, control these payments. ”
ACLU lawyers emphasize that under normal circumstances, these systems fall under the control of career civil servants over the years of training and experience in managing confidential data, all of which have experienced a comprehensive process of verification.
The group also submitted requests from the Law on Freedom of Information (Foia) for records of communication with identified DOGE personnel, as well as to obtain detailed information about any requests that the target group could make to access confidential and personal data in personnel management (OPM).
Other files that ACLU seeks, refers to Doni’s plans to deploy artificial intelligence tools throughout the government, as well as any plans or discussions on how the target group plans to comply with the federal laws that protect confidential financial and medical information, such as the Law on Contactability and accountability of healthcare (HIPAA).
On Thursday, WireD said that DOGE operatives in the General Services Administration, which controls the IT infrastructure of the US government, began to strive to quickly deploy the Homebrew Ai chat, called GSII. A source of GSA AI preliminary transactions tells Wired that the agency has launched a pilot program last fall, aimed at checking the use of Gemini, a botta chat adapted for Google WorkPlace. However, the rain quickly determined that the twins would not provide the level of data, desired by the target group.