A federal judge, Deborah Boardman, has issued a temporary restraining order against the controversial government initiative DOGE, barring it from accessing the personal data of student loan borrowers. This decision comes amid a lawsuit led by The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a union representing 1.8 million members, against various federal agencies, including the Education Department. The lawsuit challenges the agencies' decision to provide DOGE with access to individuals' private data.
The judge expressed significant concerns regarding DOGE's access to sensitive information, including income details and Social Security numbers. According to the court order, six DOGE "affiliates" are currently working within the Education Department, raising further alarm about data security. While DOGE claims its access is necessary to investigate potential waste, fraud, and abuse within student loan programs, Judge Boardman found the extent of access unwarranted.
"When people give their financial and other personal information to the federal government — namely to secure financial aid for their kids to go to college, or to get a student loan — they expect that data to be protected and used for the reasons it was intended." – Randi Weingarten
The judge's order represents a substantial limitation on DOGE's access to Americans' personal data. The White House has yet to comment on this development, as reported by CNBC. AFT president Randi Weingarten has praised Boardman's decision, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding personal information.
"The data in question includes really sensitive information on a population of people who had to give that information for one clear purpose: borrow money to get an education." – Ben Winters
Judge Boardman stated that the government failed to justify why DOGE affiliates at the Education Department require such extensive access to borrowers' records for auditing purposes. Consequently, the order prohibits DOGE from accessing this personal information until March 10 at 8 a.m. Furthermore, the Department of Education and the Office of Personnel Management must cease sharing federal employees' and student borrowers' data with DOGE officials.
"It's crucial that institutions like governments only allow your data to be used for strictly the purpose you gave it for." – Ben Winters
Ben Winters, director of artificial intelligence and privacy at the Consumer Federation of America, suggested that the plaintiffs could succeed in their claim that the Education Department's disclosure of records to DOGE violates The Privacy Act. This case underscores the ongoing debate over data privacy and the limits of governmental access.