Appeals Court Clears The Way For DOGE To Access Personal Data
Newsweek5 days
Court Allows DOGE to Access Federal Personal Data
Above: White House Senior Advisor, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (L) speaks during a cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on March 24, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Win McNamee/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Elon Musk's DOGE has gained sweeping access to Americans' sensitive data while bypassing established security protocols. This creates dangerous vulnerabilities that foreign adversaries could exploit — particularly as DOGE simultaneously dismantles critical cybersecurity teams and installs inexperienced personnel. The reckless handling of private information threatens national security during an already heightened period of cyber threats.
Republican narrative
Musk's DOGE team seeks access to sensitive IRS data not to violate privacy but to expose rampant waste and fraud — like millions of deceased Americans still marked "alive" for Social Security payments. As Musk argues, he has neither the incentive nor the desire to misuse personal information, only to fix the inefficiencies that are bankrupting America while facing intense scrutiny himself.