US Supreme Court gives DOGE access to sensitive social security data

The decision allows DOGE, once led by Elon Musk, full access to personal data in the Social Security database while the case moves forward on appeal
Bloomberg
By Greg Stohr and Zoe Tillman
The US Supreme Court gave the Department of Government Efficiency access to sensitive Social Security information, lifting restrictions a judge said were needed to protect the privacy of millions of Americans.
Over three dissents, the high court on Friday granted a Trump administration request to put US District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander's order on hold. The decision lets DOGE, the office once led by Elon Musk, have full access to personally identifiable information in the Social Security Administration database while the case proceeds on appeal.
'Under the present circumstances, SSA may proceed to afford members of the SSA DOGE Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work,' the court said in a three-paragraph order, which didn't lay out the majority's reasoning.
The court's three liberals — Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson — dissented. In an opinion joined by Sotomayor, Jackson said the court was 'creating grave privacy risks for millions of Americans.'
In a separate decision, the high court said a different judge went too far by requiring DOGE officials to testify and produce records to a watchdog group. The order came in a case about whether the DOGE office is covered by US public records laws. The Supreme Court liberals dissented from that decision as well.
The cases are the first Supreme Court clashes involving DOGE, the office set up by President Donald Trump to weed out what he says is wasteful spending across the federal government.
Sensitive Data
Musk recently left his formal government position within the administration and is now publicly feuding with Trump.
In the SSA case, US Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the Supreme Court that 'the government cannot eliminate waste and fraud if district courts bar the very agency personnel with expertise and the designated mission of curtailing such waste and fraud from performing their jobs.'
The disputed data includes Social Security numbers, addresses, birth and marriage certificates, tax and earnings records, employment history, and bank and credit card information.
Hollander said two labor unions and an advocacy group for retired people were likely to succeed on their claims that unfettered access would violate the 1974 Privacy Act.
'For some 90 years, SSA has been guided by the foundational principle of an expectation of privacy with respect to its records,' the Baltimore-based judge wrote. 'This case exposes a wide fissure in the foundation.'
Hollander's order allowed DOGE team members access to anonymized data only after completing the type of training and background checks required for SSA employees. She said DOGE employees could get 'discrete, particularized and non-anonymized' information if they submitted a written statement explaining why the information was needed and why anonymous data was insufficient.
Hollander also ordered people affiliated with DOGE to delete data they've already acquired. The 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals kept Hollander's order in place on a 9-6 vote.
In her dissent, Jackson said the lower courts had crafted an order 'tailored to the needs of the moment.' She said the Supreme Court had 'truly lost its moorings' by granting the government's request without requiring it to show that it was suffering any harm.
'The 'urgency' underlying the government's stay application is the mere fact that it cannot be bothered to wait for the litigation process to play out before proceeding as it wishes,' she wrote.
Democracy Forward, the legal-advocacy group that represented the challengers, said it was a 'sad day for our democracy and a scary day for millions of people.'
White House spokesperson Liz Huston hailed the decision. 'The Supreme Court allowing the Trump administration to carry out commonsense efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse and modernize government information systems is a huge victory for the rule of law,' she said in an email.
The case is Social Security Administration v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, 24A1063.
DOGE Records
The Supreme Court's action in the records case blocks a Washington federal judge's order for the administration to answer questions, produce documents and make DOGE administrator Amy Gleason available to testify at a deposition.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper had authorized the group that brought the public records case, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, to gather evidence about DOGE's activities as it fights with the Justice Department over the office's legal status.
The Supreme Court majority faulted Cooper for requiring the government to disclose internal DOGE recommendations and to say whether those suggestions were followed.
'Separation of powers concerns counsel judicial deference and restraint in the context of discovery regarding internal executive branch communications,' the Supreme Court said in its two-page order.
Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson didn't explain their reasons for dissenting.
CREW has argued that the DOGE Service should be considered an agency under the federal Freedom of Information Act, which empowers the public to see a wide range of government records. The Trump administration disagrees, arguing that DOGE plays a purely advisory role within the White House and is exempt from the law.
Musk served as the public face of DOGE, but government lawyers stressed in court that Gleason is the formal head of the DOGE office.
CREW's underlying public records request seeks to pry loose new information about the Tesla Inc. chief executive's role in dramatic cuts to federal spending and the workforce. The lawsuit also aims to reveal more broadly what DOGE-affiliated staff have been doing and the structure of that effort across US agencies.
The case is US DOGE Service v. CREW, 24A1122.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Economic Times

25 minutes ago

• Economic Times

US tariff spike hits China's small parcels, squeezing exporters

Bloomberg Live Events US tariff hikes on small packages from China triggered a slump in shipments last month, contributing to a huge drop in bilateral trade and roiling exporters like Shein Group Ltd The value of small parcels sent from China to the US fell to just over $1 billion in May, the least since early 2023, according to customs data released Friday. The 40% plunge from the same month last year marks a sharp reversal for a booming trade route, coming just as the US government eliminated a long-standing tariff policy shift is upending the business models of fast-fashion titan Shein and its rival Temu, which relied on the exemption to send goods directly to US customers free of tariffs. It's also squeezing thousands of small merchants who relied on the model as a low-cost entry into the world's largest consumer market.'Without the exemption, it would mean tougher business to us, and much fewer options for consumers, and potentially higher prices,' said Wang Yuhao, whose Kunming-based incense company, Shantivale, recently began selling to the US. 'This is a lose-lose situation.'For the entrepreneur, the new tariffs and logistical fees of direct shipping now would mean losing $2 on every parcel. To avoid the additional cost, Wang said he has pivoted to bulk shipments to US warehouses, a move that demanded an upfront investment of more than 100,000 yuan ($13,800) for inventory and source of the disruption is the end of the 'de minimis' rule exemption for Chinese and Hong Kong shipments. Previously, packages valued under $800 could enter the US duty-free. Since May 2, those parcels face tariffs as high as 54% after the Trump administration moved to close what it deemed an unfair trade impact on the largest players was swift. Shein raised US prices on items from dresses to kitchenware ahead of the hike to cover the costs of the higher tariffs, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. In the week after the tariffs took effect, both Shein and Temu saw double-digit sales declines, an early sign the punitive measures are eroding their with the drop, the US remained the largest single destination for China's small parcels, the data showed. Malaysia followed by taking more than $700 million worth of such shipments last small parcel shipments rose 40% in May compared to a year ago, with Belgium, South Korea, Hong Kong and Hungary among other large destinations.

Time of India

34 minutes ago

• Time of India

Harvard and Trump administration resume talks to resolve ongoing feud

Harvard University and the Trump administration have resumed discussions to resolve a long-standing dispute that escalated into funding cuts , legal battles , and political tensions. The talks, which restarted this week at the White House , aim to find common ground after months of confrontation over federal funding , campus policies , and academic independence, according to a report by the New York Times. During the meeting, Harvard officials presented a PowerPoint outlining recent actions on antisemitism, admissions, and viewpoint diversity. In response, White House representatives listed further steps they expect the university to take. A letter from the administration followed, detailing conditions for a possible agreement. Harvard has not yet commented on its response. Sources close to the matter say the negotiations restarted after other academic leaders urged Harvard to reengage with the administration. The outreach also followed public remarks by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, who signaled readiness for talks. Although the terms of any potential deal remain unclear, both sides have indicated interest in finding a resolution. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:-:- Loaded : 0% 0:00:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - -:-:- 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 'Swing is King': Mr. Hemant's Strategy Finally Explained in Free Session TradeWise Learn More Undo Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that 'very possible that a Deal will be announced over the next week or so.' However, two people familiar with the talks said a deal in the immediate future is unlikely. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Internally, Harvard officials are weighing the risks of continued conflict. According to those briefed on the discussions, university leaders fear that ongoing tension with the federal government could shrink Harvard's influence and budget. Key concerns include funding cuts, visa restrictions on international students , and federal investigations. Live Events You Might Also Like: Federal judge blocks Trump effort to keep Harvard from hosting foreign students One individual close to Harvard emphasised, 'The university is not going to compromise its values or First Amendment rights.' A possible agreement being explored could see restoration of a portion of the federal research funding withdrawn earlier this year, and a halt to legal actions. In exchange, Harvard may be asked to make stronger commitments on antisemitism, admissions reform, and ideological diversity. The discussions mark a shift from April, when Harvard cut off talks after receiving a letter from the administration demanding wide-reaching changes. The letter proposed merit-based hiring and admissions, a halt to diversity programs, and ongoing oversight through 2028. Harvard rejected those terms, leading to lawsuits and public sparring. Since then, the administration has continued to cut research funding and challenge Harvard's ability to admit international students. Meanwhile, the university has faced increasing pressure from within to find a less confrontational path forward. You Might Also Like: How Trump has targeted Harvard's international students - and what the latest court ruling means A potential deal may also serve as a model for other universities seeking to avoid similar conflicts. According to sources, multiple elite colleges are in private discussions with the Trump administration over funding and campus policies. On social media, Trump described a possible agreement as 'mindbogglingly HISTORIC' and 'very good for our Country.' He later praised Harvard's leadership for acting 'extremely appropriately' during negotiations. The legal case regarding Harvard's funding cuts is ongoing, with a hearing scheduled for July 21 in Boston.

The Hindu

36 minutes ago

• The Hindu

Trump says Tulsi Gabbard was 'wrong' about Iran; Israeli strikes could be 'very hard to stop'

President Donald Trump has said that his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was 'wrong' when she previously said that the U.S. believed Iran wasn't building a nuclear weapon, and he suggested that it would be 'very hard to stop' Israel's strikes on Iran in order to negotiate a possible ceasefire. Mr. Trump has recently taken a more aggressive public stance toward Tehran as he's sought more time to weigh whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility. Buried under a mountain, the facility is believed to be out of the reach of all but America's 'bunker-buster' bombs. Follow Israel-Iran conflict LIVE on June 21 After landing in New Jersey for an evening fundraiser for his super political action committee on Friday, Mr. Trump was asked about Ms. Gabbard's comments to Congress in March that U.S. spy agencies believed that Iran wasn't working on nuclear warheads. The President responded, 'Well then, my intelligence community is wrong. Who in the intelligence community said that?' Informed that it had been Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Trump said, 'She's wrong.' In a subsequent post on X, Ms. Gabbard said her testimony was taken out of context 'as a way to manufacture division'. 'America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalise the assembly,' she wrote. 'President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree.' Still, disavowing Ms. Gabbard's previous assessment came a day after the White House said Mr. Trump would decide within two weeks whether the U.S. military would get directly involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. It said seeking additional time was 'based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future'. But on Friday, Mr. Trump himself seemed to cast doubts on the possibility of talks leading to a pause in fighting between Israel and Iran. He said that, while he might support a ceasefire, Israel's strikes on Iran could be 'very hard to stop.' Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the U.S. was serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Mr. Trump responded, 'I think it's very hard to make that request right now.' 'If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing," Mr. Trump said. 'But we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens.' The President later added, 'It's very hard to stop when you look at it.' "Israel's doing well in terms of war. And, I think, you would say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop," Mr. Trump said. Mr. Trump campaigned on decrying 'endless wars' and has vowed to be an international peacemaker. That's led some, even among conservatives, to point to Mr. Trump's past criticism of the U.S. invasion of Iraq beginning in 2003 as being at odds with his more aggressive stance toward Iran now. Mr. Trump suggested the two situations were very different, though. 'There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,' Mr. Trump said of his past criticism of the administration of President George W Bush. He added of Iran's current nuclear programme, 'It looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material.' Mr. Trump also cast doubts on Iran's developing nuclear capabilities for civilian pursuits, like power generation. 'You're sitting on one of the largest oil piles anywhere in the world,' he said. 'It's a little bit hard to see why you'd need that.'