Overview

• The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 9-6 to uphold a preliminary injunction blocking the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing non-anonymized Social Security Administration (SSA) records.
• Judge Ellen Hollander’s injunction requires DOGE to delete any personally identifiable information already obtained and limits access to anonymized data following staff training and background checks.
• DOGE, led by Elon Musk under President Trump, has argued that data anonymization hampers its mission to identify waste and fraud within federal agencies.
• The court majority emphasized the sensitive nature of SSA data, which includes medical records, financial information, and earnings history, entrusted to the agency with an expectation of strict confidentiality.
• The Trump administration is weighing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court following the appellate court's decision to maintain the restrictions.