Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Elon Musk’s DOGE team has been quietly aggregating extensive data that the government maintains about U.S. citizens. This initiative involves at least 314 distinct data points collected by various federal agencies. These range from basic identifying information—such as your name, address, birthdate, driver’s license, and Social Security number—to highly personal details, including your educational background, employment history, criminal record, and exceptionally granular financial, health, and wellness information, such as your medical providers, credit history, marital status, and even details of any debts you may have had forgiven. Alarmingly, these examples only scratch the surface of the breadth of information being compiled.
A Break From Prior Precedent
This data aggregation initiative should alarm every American citizen. Many of these data points are so sensitive that Congress has enacted specific legislation aimed explicitly at protecting them. Furthermore, this practice significantly deviates from the government’s longstanding policy, established under the Privacy Act of 1974, which restricts agencies from engaging in “computer matching”—or systematically cross-referencing data between agencies—unless stringent due-process safeguards are in place.
The rationale behind the Privacy Act is clear and compelling: individuals are required to interact with various government agencies in deeply personal contexts, such as filing taxes or receiving healthcare. Combining these isolated interactions into a comprehensive profile can present an extraordinarily invasive snapshot of an individual’s life. To utilize this information beyond the context in which it was provided, without individuals’ informed consent, constitutes a profound breach of privacy and public trust.
Mass-Surveillance With Questionable Data Security
The implications of aggregating data on such a massive scale extend beyond privacy concerns. Coupled with recent cuts by the Trump administration to national cybersecurity programs, a centralized repository of extensive personal data about U.S. citizens becomes an enticing target for hackers, both domestic and foreign. Moreover, history provides stark warnings about the potential for abuse when governments compile detailed personal profiles of their citizens. Authoritarian regimes like those in Russia and China have notoriously leveraged comprehensive databases to identify, suppress, and silence political dissidents. In light of President Trump’s recent statements that he’s “not joking” about pursuing a third term, the administration’s sudden enthusiasm for detailed citizen profiling raises grave concerns.
Real Risk of Data Exploitation
The risk of commercial exploitation adds yet another troubling dimension. Considering the close ties between Trump and Musk, one must question the implications if this extensive data were sold or otherwise provided to Musk’s various business entities, such as Tesla, X, or xAI. Similarly, licensing such sensitive information to ad-tech conglomerates like Meta or Google—both of whom have recently signaled willingness to engage more closely with Trump to secure favorable outcomes—raises profound ethical and privacy concerns.
Proponents may argue that DOGE and the Trump administration are justified in dismantling so-called “information silos,” asserting that such structures foster inefficiency, waste, and fraud. However, such claims are largely unsubstantiated. There is minimal evidence to suggest that maintaining agency-specific data isolation has significantly impaired governmental efficiency beyond the intentional limitations set forth by the Privacy Act—limitations specifically designed to protect individual liberties.
The unsettling reality is that the financial and political incentives associated with dismantling government safeguards for personal privacy are seemingly irresistible to this administration. Far from serving public interest, the aggressive pursuit of widespread data aggregation is more likely driven by potential profits and enhanced political leverage—priorities that compromise citizens’ rights and erode democratic trust.
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About the author: Christian Levis is head of the firm’s data breach and privacy practice group. A former app developer, he uses his experience with technology to help consumers enforce their privacy rights against Big Tech and the growing number of companies trying to exploit them. You can contact him at clevis@lowey.com or 914-733-7220 with questions.