The Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, is pushing for access to millions of Americans’ data through the U.S. Treasury, including personal and financial information.
According to DOGE, the agency only wants access to the data to observe and analyze the Treasury payment systems’ $6 trillion of spending, which covers Social Security payments, food stamps and federal student aid.
Sen. Ron Wyden, a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is skeptical of that reasoning. In a Jan. 31 letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Wyden expressed concerns that “officials associated with Musk may have intended to access these payment systems to illegally withhold payments to any number of programs.”
DOGE’s attempt to access the Treasury’s data comes after President Donald Trump tried to freeze all federal aid spending, including FAFSA, last month. Many people, especially those in or soon to be in college, are worried about their information being accessed.
In a survey conducted among 83 students at EHS, 67.5% said they disapproved of DOGE having access to personal information, primarily because Musk is the agency’s head.
“A megalomaniac oligarch trying to gain access to all financial records and cut spending to the Americans who need it most should be illegal and hopefully is,” junior Logan Tallon said.
Concerns were also raised about the security risks that come with Musk, a non-elected official, having Social Security numbers and banking information at his fingertips.
“Controlling the system could allow the Trump Administration to ‘unilaterally’ — and illegally — cut off payments for millions of Americans, putting at risk the financial security of families and businesses based on political favoritism or the whims of Mr. Musk and those on his team who have worked their way inside,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a Feb. 2 letter to Bessent.
Others have shown support for Musk having access to the data.
“He is trying to reduce government spending,” freshman Harrison Albrecht said. “If he needs people’s information to see where that money is going, [then] I am completely fine with it.”
Musk’s agency doesn’t have access to Treasury information yet, but that may change soon. As reported by the Associated Press, a federal judge will decide if DOGE is legally allowed to examine the data.
If the judge rules in favor of DOGE, the agency will still have to contend with a recent lawsuit filed by 19 state attorney generals.
According to a message sent from the Treasury to Congress, DOGE will also be restricted to “read-only” access and won’t have the authority to make spending decisions.
The Trump administration has been critical of the legal roadblocks DOGE has encountered, with Musk calling for the judge to be impeached and Vice President JD Vance accusing the judicial branch of overreaching.
Both Musk and the attorney generals filing the lawsuit against DOGE said they will continue the legal battle.
“President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data.”