The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee is urging the Social Security Administration’s watchdog to probe whistleblower allegations that the Department of Government Efficiency is compiling potentially sensitive data across several government agencies, Government Executive reported on Monday.
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly made the request in a letter he sent, which stated that the effort to build a single, cross-agency database of sensitive information is “unprecedented” and may violate privacy law.
The nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology states that at least 14 lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy protections across agencies.
“It’s terrifying,” said John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which sued the Office of Personnel Management and Treasury Department in February over personnel records and payment system data that was taken.
“The Privacy Act is really designed to prevent this exact thing from happening, and it’s pretty horrifying to watch it playing out now,” he said, according to Government Executive.
Connolly wrote in his letter, “I am concerned that DOGE is moving personal information across agencies without the notification required under the Privacy Act or related laws, such that the American people are wholly unaware their data is being manipulated in this way.”
He requested that the watchdog probe this and other concerns about disruptions at SSA due to alterations to its IT infrastructure and staffing, as well as plans to overhaul its technology.
“DOGE engineers have tried to create specialized computers for themselves that simultaneously give full access to networks and databases across different agencies,” the letter said, calling this “an apparent attempt to sidestep network security controls.”
Elizabeth Laird, CDT’s director of equity in civic technology, added, “I am also concerned about what will be done with this information, and by whom,” while noting that it’s likely the Trump administration may want to use this information for immigration enforcement.
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