A federal judge on Monday refused a request to block the US DOGE Service, a team led by billionaire Elon Musk, from accessing student data at the US Department of Education. This decision marks a significant step forward for DOGE’s auditing efforts, despite ongoing concerns about privacy violations and the potential misuse of sensitive student information.
Judge Randolph D. Moss of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that there was no immediate threat in allowing DOGE access to student records. The lawsuit, filed earlier in February by the University of California Student Association (UCSA), sought to prevent the department from sharing confidential student data with the DOGE team, arguing that it violated the 1974 Privacy Act, which protects sensitive personal information.
Court ruling on student data access
In his ruling, Judge Moss explained that there was no evidence to suggest that allowing DOGE employees access to the Education Department‘s systems would cause irreparable harm to students or violate privacy laws, reports The Washington Post. The judge stated that concerns about identity theft and possible sharing of data with other agencies, such as those involved in immigration enforcement, were “entirely conjectural.” He noted that DOGE’s role in the department was to audit contracts, grants, and related programs to detect waste, fraud, and abuse.
Adam Ramada, a DOGE staffer, testified that his team was assisting the department with data analytics to inform policy decisions. As quoted by The Washington Post, Ramada emphasized that DOGE staffers were fully aware of their legal obligations and understood that any data they handled would need to comply with the law. He assured the court that no personal information would be disclosed during their work.
Opposition from student groups and unions
Despite the ruling, the UCSA, representing over 230,000 students across nine campuses in California, continues to oppose the decision. The association claims that allowing DOGE access to student records violates both the Privacy Act and the confidentiality provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, as some records contain tax information. Their lawsuit is ongoing, and further challenges to DOGE’s work are emerging.
In addition, a coalition of labor unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, has filed a lawsuit to block DOGE’s access to sensitive data at multiple federal agencies, including the Education Department. As reported by The Washington Post, these unions argue that disclosing millions of Americans’ records to DOGE staff constitutes a violation of privacy laws.
Growing scrutiny over DOGE’s role in government auditing
The ruling has sparked broader scrutiny of the DOGE team’s growing role in government auditing. Earlier in February, a group of Senate Democrats, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) and Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), launched an inquiry demanding that the Education Department explain its rationale for granting DOGE access to such sensitive student data. The case continues to unfold as both privacy advocates and government officials grapple with the balance between efficiency and confidentiality.
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