Appeals court removes limits on DOGE access to SSA data despite 'alarming' revelations

"The government's recent acknowledgments are alarming and raise serious questions about its earlier conduct before the district court."

"The court called recent reports about another SSA whistleblower accusing an ex-DOGE associate of planning to take sensitive data on U.S. citizens with him to his job at a government contractor 'even more alarming.'"

"The court made its decision to reverse the limit on SSA's data access based on the record before the district court at the time it issued the preliminary injunction."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit vacated a lower court's order that limited the Department of Government Efficiency's access to sensitive data at the Social Security Administration. The court found that organizations suing the SSA failed to demonstrate likely irreparable harm. Recent government filings revealed improper access to SSA data by DOGE employees, raising concerns about data sharing with political advocacy groups. The court's decision allows DOGE to access SSA data while acknowledging alarming revelations regarding data access protocols.

Read at Nextgov.com