In an unprecedented move that has alarmed privacy advocates and civil rights experts, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is rapidly constructing what could become America's most extensive domestic surveillance system.
Under the Trump administration, DOGE is actively collecting and merging sensitive personal data from multiple federal agencies into a centralized database housed at the Department of Homeland Security. According to House Democratic lawmakers, a whistleblower revealed that this master database will incorporate information from the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, and Department of Health and Human Services.
"This is what we were always scared of," warns Kevin Bankston, senior adviser at the Center for Democracy & Technology. "The infrastructure for turnkey totalitarianism is there for an administration willing to break the law."
The scope of collected data far exceeds what private tech companies possess, including citizens' income records, bank details, medical histories, and employment information. Recent reports indicate DOGE has already accessed payroll records of approximately 276,000 federal workers, with officials who objected being placed on administrative leave.
This rapid consolidation of personal data reverses decades of intentional data separation between government agencies - protections put in place specifically to prevent potential misuse. The Federal Privacy Act of 1974 requires agencies to obtain consent before sharing individual data across departments.
Multiple lawsuits challenging DOGE's actions are currently in progress. Courts have already ruled in favor of plaintiffs in two cases, issuing orders limiting DOGE's access to Social Security Administration and Department of Treasury data. However, the status of previously collected information remains unclear.
Privacy experts emphasize that the United States lacks proper safeguards against such data consolidation, being the only OECD member nation without a dedicated data protection agency to enforce comprehensive privacy laws.
"In no other country could a person like Elon Musk rummage through government databases and gather up the personal data of government employees, taxpayers and veterans," notes Marc Rotenberg, founder of the Center for A.I. and Digital Policy.
As DOGE continues its data collection efforts, privacy advocates are calling for immediate action through various channels - whether defunding DOGE, repealing the executive order that established it, or updating the Privacy Act with stronger enforcement mechanisms.
The implications of this unprecedented data consolidation extend beyond immediate privacy concerns, potentially creating what Georgetown law professor Paul Ohm termed a "database of ruin" - where nearly every citizen could be vulnerable to blackmail, discrimination, harassment, or financial harm through misuse of their personal information.