A federal judge likened DOGE efforts to identify and eliminate waste and fraud at the Social Security Administration to a “fishing expedition” on Thursday, blocking Elon Musk’s team of cost-cutters from accessing the personal information of Americans held by the agency.
District Judge Ellen Hollander’s temporary restraining order compels DOGE staffers to delete any personally identifiable data they may have collected from SSA and any software installed at the agency.
The Maryland judge also told senior SSA officials to prevent Musk’s team from accessing any systems that may contain personally identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers, medical records, banking information, income history and tax records.
Hollander, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, allowed SSA to provide DOGE with “redacted or anonymized data” for the length of the 14-day restraining order.
The judge appeared skeptical of DOGE’s goal and need for such sensitive data.