On Thursday, a federal judge issued a preliminary order that extended a ban to billionaire Elon Musk’s aides on accessing the private data of millions of Americans stored in the computer systems at the Social Security Administration.
The U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Hollander of Maryland ruled that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency failed to demonstrate the need for “unprecedented and unfettered access” to the SSA data it sought to achieve its stated goal of rooting out fraud.
Hollander issued a temporary restraining order last month, restricting DOGE’s access to SSA Data. However, it was set to expire this Thursday. The preliminary injunction extends the restrictions while the case is being resolved.
The injunction was a victory for two labor unions, an advocacy group, and SSA. They sued Musk, DOGE, and others in February to prevent DOGE members from accessing some of the agency’s most important data systems.
Hollander stated that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claim that DOGE employees had violated privacy laws through their efforts to date to access data, and that an order was necessary to protect Americans against “irreparable damage.”
Since about 90 years ago, SSA’s records have been guided by a foundational principle that reflects an expectation of privacy. Hollander’s 145-page decision reveals a large crack in the foundation.
Former President Barack Obama nominated Hollander to be a federal judge. Donald Trump, the Republican president, nominated Hollander to serve on the federal bench.
The injunction prevents DOGE staffers from gaining access to data that contains personal information. However, they can gain access to data that is stripped of all private information if they have undergone the necessary training and cleared background checks.
Democracy Forward, a group of activists who advocate for democracy, said that the injunction was a significant step forward in their case.
Skye Perryman of Democracy Forward said that this is a relief to the millions of people who rely on the Social Security Administration for their most sensitive and personal information.
Requests for comments from the SSA or DOGE were not answered by their respective spokespersons.
The case sheds light on how much sensitive information about Americans is stored in the SSA databases.
Hollander, during a hearing in Baltimore Tuesday on the injunction, expressed doubts about the DOGE’s desire to have broad access to data to uncover what she called questionable claims of widespread fraud.