Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been blocked from accessing certain personal data. The ruling comes as a survey revealed 3 in 4 Americans oppose DOGE's actions.
DOGE's governmental cost cutting drive has led it to accessing the sensitive personal data of millions of Americans – potentially illegally.
The collecting of this data is something that can't be protected by tools like the best VPNs, and Elon Musk's DOGE has faced a massive backlash over its actions.
12 privacy lawsuits were filed against DOGE in the early stages of its data collection and now public opposition is growing. How DOGE and the U.S. government will respond is unclear. But what is clear is no organization should have this much freedom to access our personal data.
Data collection blocked
DOGE was dealt a blow in the last week of February when it was barred from accessing personal data held by two government agencies.
U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman, in Greenbelt, Maryland, blocked DOGE from accessing personal data held by the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management.
A temporary restraining order was issued on behalf of a coalition of labor unions who argued it was wrong for the agencies to grant DOGE access to the personal data of millions of Americans.
Data included Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, income and assets, and citizenship and disability status.
The judge stated the agencies' decision to grant DOGE "sweeping access" to this data violated the Privacy Act 1974 – the major data privacy defense at the heart of DOGE's lawsuits.
The restraining order is in place until 10 March, but opposition is expected to continue.
3 in 4 Americans oppose DOGE's actions
A survey conducted by AllAboutCookies has found that nearly 3 in 4 Americans oppose DOGE accessing their data.
When asked if they were in favor of DOGE and Elon Musk having access to taxpayers' personal data, 74% of respondents said no.
1,000 respondents were surveyed and 61% said they were aware of DOGE's actions before taking the survey. The fact that a majority of those surveyed knew about DOGE's actions is a good thing, but 39% not knowing is cause for concern – people have the right to know if their personal information is being exposed.
Of those who were aware of DOGE's actions, 57% said it weakened their trust in the government's handling of their data. 27% said it made no impact and 15% said it made them trust the government more.
Elon Musk divides America
Before joining DOGE, Elon Musk was a polarising figure. This has only increased in recent weeks, fuelled by the revelation that Musk is not actually a DOGE employee.
The White House declared that Musk is a "senior advisor" to President Trump, rather than a federal employee, and this has led to questions over the legality of his access to agency data.
AllAboutCookies' survey highlighted Musk's divisive nature. A majority of respondents did not trust Musk in any capacity relating to the access and collection of personal data.
40% had "complete distrust" in Musk's "safe handling of personal data," with 17% having "some distrust". Respondents were also asked how much they would trust Musk would "only use personal data for publicly-stated purposes" and "will not let personal or business interests influence decisions at DOGE."
41% answered "complete distrust" to both questions, 15% expressed "some distrust" to the former, and 14% expressed "some distrust" to the latter.
Between 20 and 22% were neutral to all three statements, 11-12% had "some trust," and 10-11% had "complete trust."
52% expressed concern over the safety of their personal data, with 29% being "somewhat concerned" and 19% "not at all concerned".
Regardless of whether VPNs can help in this case or not, it is still important to follow good data practices and secure your data where possible. The best password managers and the best encrypted messaging apps, alongside the most secure VPNs, are vital tools in protecting your data.
30% of those surveyed said they'd taken action with their personal data in response to DOGE's measures. 16% had updated their bank details and 11% had locked or frozen credit.
13% had bought credit monitoring and 11% had bought ID theft monitoring. This shows an appetite amongst Americans to protect their data and these tools are featured in some premium VPN subscriptions.
ExpressVPN and NordVPN both offer forms of identity protection through their Identity Defender and NordProtect features respectively. Both feature cyber insurance of up to $1 million and monitor the web for breaches of your data.
A credit scanning tool is also included in NordProtect, but ExpressVPN has a dedicated Credit Scanner feature, separate from Identity Defender.
Disclaimer
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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