A federal judge has temporarily blocked Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) from accessing the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans, dealing a quick blow to the second Trump administration’s controversial government downsizing goals.
According to court filings on Monday, US district judge Deborah Boardman ruled that the Department of Education and office of personnel management – the government’s HR department – must stop sharing federal employees’ and student borrowers’ personal data with Doge officials, stating that such access appears to violate federal privacy laws.
“This continuing, unauthorized disclosure of the plaintiffs’ sensitive personal information to Doge affiliates is irreparable harm that money damages cannot rectify,” said a 33-page ruling from Boardman, who was appointed to the federal judiciary by Joe Biden’s presidential administration.
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