A federal judge has placed new restrictions on Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), limiting its access to sensitive Social Security data, which contains personal information about millions of Americans. The ruling, issued on Thursday by US District Judge Ellen Hollander, came in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of labor unions and retirees. These plaintiffs allege that DOGE's actions breach privacy laws and create significant risks to information security. Prior to this ruling, Judge Hollander had granted a temporary restraining order against DOGE's actions.

The court’s new injunction allows DOGE staff to access certain data that has been redacted or stripped of any personally identifiable information. However, this access is conditional. Staff must undergo training and background checks before they can review the data. The decision addresses concerns raised about DOGE's scope of access to Social Security data, which is a sensitive resource.

In a federal court hearing earlier in the week, Judge Hollander pressed the government’s lawyers about the need for such extensive access. She questioned why DOGE needed nearly unrestricted access to the Social Security system’s vast stores of personal data, especially in its efforts to uncover Social Security fraud. The case highlights a growing debate about privacy, government oversight, and the balance between combating fraud and protecting citizens' personal information. The outcome of this case could have wider implications for how government agencies access and handle sensitive data in the future.

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