U.S. Judge Blocks DOGE’s Access to Personal Data Amid Privacy Law Concerns

On March 25th, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive personal data belonging to Americans. This decision follows a lawsuit filed by a coalition of unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, which alleged that the Trump administration permitted DOGE, under Elon Musk’s leadership, to retrieve information from the U.S. Department of Education, Treasury, and Office of Personnel Management without proper authorization. The ruling emphasizes a significant breach of federal privacy guidelines impacting millions of U.S. citizens. Judge Boardman highlighted the government’s inability to convincingly justify the necessity for such extensive data access, regarding it as an overreach of its responsibilities. This ruling underscores the critical balance between governmental authority and individual privacy rights, marking an important precedent in the protection of personal information.