Federal Judge Blocks Access to Social Security Data Amid Privacy Concerns

BALTIMORE, Maryland — A federal judge has prohibited the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team from accessing personally identifiable information (PII) from the Social Security Administration (SSA), citing potential privacy violations. The ruling, issued on Thursday by Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander, underscores concerns over the unauthorized handling of sensitive data.

During the court proceedings, Hollander criticized the defendants, including SSA acting Commissioner Leland Dudek and Chief Information Officer Michael Russo, for failing to justify the need for unlimited access to personal records that millions of Americans have entrusted to the government.

“The defendants, with so-called experts on the DOGE team, never identified or articulated why they need access to SSA’s entire record systems, which can expose personal, confidential, sensitive, and private information,” Hollander stated in her ruling.

The court order blocks any SSA officials and their affiliates from granting access to personal data systems. Furthermore, it mandates that DOGE members delete any non-anonymized PII they have acquired since January 20.

According to the lawsuit, filed by a coalition of unions and retirees, PII includes details that can identify an individual on their own or combined with other information. This encompasses Social Security numbers, medical records, employment details, and banking information.

The coalition includes the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Alliance for Retired Americans, and the American Federation of Teachers.

In response to the ruling, White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields criticized Hollander, labeling her a “radical leftist” who seeks to undermine the Trump administration’s efforts. Fields asserted, “The President will continue to seek all legal remedies available to ensure the will of the American people goes into effect.”

After the decision, a spokesperson for the SSA expressed a commitment to comply with the court’s order, stating, “We will work to comply with the court order.”

Judge Hollander remarked on the anonymity of the DOGE affiliates, suggesting their hidden identities could indicate a concern for their privacy. She stated, “Ironically, the identity of these DOGE affiliates has been concealed because defendants are concerned that disclosure would expose them to harassment and invade their privacy.” She further emphasized that the government did not seem concerned about the privacy of the millions of Americans whose records were vulnerable.

Hollander criticized the administration’s approach, stating it lacked precision and called it “hitting a fly with a sledgehammer” when addressing fraud and modernization of systems. She referenced past incidents, such as the release of unredacted documents in the assassination case of President John F. Kennedy, which help validate the expectation of privacy for sensitive data.

The judge noted the plaintiffs’ likelihood of succeeding in proving that DOGE’s actions are arbitrary and violate the Privacy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.

Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, expressed gratitude for the ruling, emphasizing the importance of protecting personal data. “We are grateful that the court took strong action to protect every American’s personal data. Seniors must be able to trust the Social Security Administration will protect their personal information and keep it from falling into the wrong hands,” Fiesta stated.