The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency created by Elon Musk to reduce government expenses, can access confidential data of millions of Americans despite significant privacy concerns. The decision was made by a majority of six conservative justices.
Three liberal justices dissented. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor warned that immediate access to “highly confidential data” is risky since legal proceedings are still ongoing. The case centers on the privacy rights of millions.
The requested data includes social security numbers, birth dates, banking details, home addresses, pension information, and in some cases, confidential medical records.
Previously, Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued a temporary injunction blocking access, stating that DOGE’s demand for extensive personal data was made on “pretextual grounds.” The government argued that such access is essential to fight fraud and curb excessive spending within federal agencies.
In a related Supreme Court decision, the government prevailed again. Plaintiffs sought greater transparency from DOGE, including the release of internal emails. However, conservative justices overturned a lower court order that had required DOGE to disclose these documents. Plaintiffs maintain that DOGE should be held to the same transparency standards as other government agencies, while the government claims that DOGE is merely an advisory body to the president. The case has been returned to the appeals court.
U.S. President Donald Trump created DOGE and tasked Elon Musk with leading efforts to drastically reduce government spending. Musk stepped down from this role at the end of May to focus on his businesses such as Tesla.
Currently, DOGE operates directly under government leadership. Trump stated that the mission to cut expenses will continue despite their public disagreements.
