MANY MINDEDGovernment Data Consolidation Threatens Voting Rights and Welfare Access
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), established by President Trump on January 20, 2025, gained high-level access to sensitive databases at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Social Security Administration (SSA), and Treasury Department. This consolidation violated the federal Privacy Act of 1974, which restricts sharing and aggregation of government data. DOGE’s staff lacked cybersecurity expertise and experienced conflicts of interest, leading to indiscriminate firings and the decimation of agencies focused on consumer protection and foreign aid.
The government attempted to address privacy concerns by firing DOGE agents and revoking their access, but DHS and Agriculture separately pursued data sharing: DHS targeted IRS tax records, Medicaid data, and HUD housing information for immigration enforcement, while Agriculture sought SNAP data from state agencies. ICE has contracts with companies like Palantir for commercial location data without warrants. Additionally, SAVE—a system repurposed in 2025 to check voter eligibility—flagged 21,000 voters as potential noncitizens, including one documented case of lawful voter purges.
This consolidation directly threatens voting rights and welfare access. By enabling targeted data sharing for immigration enforcement and voter eligibility checks, it risks excluding eligible citizens from critical services while undermining privacy protections. The lawsuits filed by EFF, Lex Lumina LLC, and Democracy Defenders Fund against OPM for unlawfully disclosing federal workers’ information highlight the tension between government efficiency and individual rights.
What to watch: The outcome of ongoing lawsuits, whether SAVE’s voter checks trigger actual purges, and whether DHS’s immigration data sharing expands beyond current targets. The 21,000 flagged voters represent a snapshot as of the source’s publication date; actual purges may differ. The text acknowledges existing privacy protections have been essential but insufficient for current needs.
Source: EFF Deeplinks