DOGE aims to pool federal data, putting personal information at risk

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Washington Post

DOGE aims to pool federal data, putting personal information at risk

The goal — a centralized system with unprecedented access to data about Social Security, taxes, medical diagnoses and other private information — would create a multitude of vulnerabilities, experts say.

May 7, 2025 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Today at 6:00 a.m. EDT


Elon Musk listens to President Donald Trump during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on March 24. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

By Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein and Rachel Siegel

The U.S. DOGE Service is racing to build a single centralized database with vast troves of personal information about millions of U.S. citizens and residents, a campaign that often violates or disregards core privacy and security protections meant to keep such information safe, government workers say.

The team overseen by Elon Musk is collecting data from across the government, sometimes at the urging of low-level aides, according to multiple federal employees and a former DOGE staffer, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. The intensifying effort to unify systems into one central hub aims to advance multiple Trump administration priorities, including finding and deporting undocumented immigrants and rooting out fraud in government payments. And it follows a March executive order to eliminate “information silos” as DOGE tries to streamline operations and cut spending.

{snip}

By Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein and Rachel Siegel

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/05/07/doge-government-data-immigration-social-security/

[Fla Dem]

1. Gee, I wonder how all the Trump's Billionaire friends will feel about all their info being exposed?

Oh and his and his family's info too.

[William Seger]

2. "... DOGE tries to streamline ..." is like cutting off your nose to streamline your face

[CousinIT]

3. As I've said over and over: the idea is to WEAPONIZE the data against everyone here. n/t

[Brainfodder]

4. Do realize that your DATA is readily available for a price already?

Best advice I can give on it is too keep as small a footprint as possible on the internet with your visuals, assuming not a public figure or no desire to be one?
Keep to long standing behemoths such as paypal for online payment, but also use strong password and 2nd verification method on anything attached to bank accounts.

strong password requirements FYI:
Minimum 13 characters of more than 2 types: 4 in this one below.
Example: FaR1TiNGD0gH@zYURB.C
Slightly easier to remember maybe edition: PApa7667.flirT@fork

Once past 12 characters, bruteforce attack with the different types in play is way too long.
Not new news or anything.

[Firestorm49]

5. Sorry about using this line again, but "what could possibly go wrong"?

[Bayard]

6. I can see corporate HR departments

Using this database to screen out applicants.

[patphil]

7. Having a complete dossier on all people in the country is what they did in Russia, China, and North Korea.