US federal judge blocks Elon Musk’s initiative DOGE from accessing personal financial records of Americans

By  News On Air   Feb 09, 2025

In US, a federal judge has blocked Elon Musk’s initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), from accessing the personal financial records of millions of Americans stored by the Treasury Department. According to the media reports, US District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction, ordering Musk and his team to destroy any copies of the records. The decision came after 19 state attorneys general sued the Trump administration, arguing that giving Musk, a special government employee, and DOGE access to sensitive data violated federal law. 

The judge warned that the policy posed risks of exposing confidential information and increasing hacking threats. Access to the records is now restricted to Treasury civil servants with proper clearance. Meanwhile, Musk criticized the ruling on social media, calling it insane and claiming it would hinder efforts to prevent fraud and waste. New York Attorney General Letitia James, part of the lawsuit, accused the Trump administration of granting Musk unprecedented access to private data, sparking public concerns about privacy and funding security. The injunction remains in effect until a February 14 court hearing.