The US Treasury is in the hot seat due to allegations of illegally disclosing personal and financial data of millions of Americans to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. This follows the AFL-CIO's class-action lawsuit.
AFL-CIO’s Lawsuit: Unprecedented Privacy Breach?
The largest union in the US, AFL-CIO, reportedly filed a lawsuit on February 3rd in federal court in DC against the US Treasury and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, alleging that exposing data to DOGE violates federal law, claiming the breach is “unlawful, ongoing, systematic and continuous.” "The scale of the intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented," AFL-CIO said. "People who have to share information with the federal government should not have to share information with Elon Musk or his DOGE."
How Did DOGE Get In? Meet Scott Bessent
According to the court documents, the controversy centers around an alleged decision by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to give DOGE full access to the Treasury’s payment systems, housing sensitive info like full names, Social Security Numbers, birth details, physical addresses, contact info, email addresses, and bank account data. A key piece of evidence is a post by Senator Ron Wyden on Bluesky from February 1, where he claimed that DOGE had unhindered access to this data. Wyden then reportedly asked Bessent for an explanation, increasing the pressure on the Treasury. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren held a joint press conference on February 3 addressing the situation: "DOGE is not a real government agency," said Schumer. "It has no authority to make spending decisions or override federal law."
Is DOGE a Threat to Data Privacy? A Crypto Perspective
While DOGE shares a name with the popular meme cryptocurrency Dogecoin, it is unrelated. Instead, DOGE represents the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Musk to enhance government efficiency. Critics express concerns about ethics, citing Musk's interests in technology, finance, and crypto as potential conflicts. Crypto analyst Sarah Jennings from Digital Asset Insights comments: "It’s not a question of whether the government can work more efficiently. It’s about conflicts of interest. This person has been so involved in the crypto world, so that raises many red flags."
The case against the US Treasury highlights significant issues in data privacy, government transparency, and corporate influence. As the lawsuit progresses, it may raise further questions about the boundaries between public institutions and private interests, especially in an era where data is regarded as a valuable resource.
