Federal workers sues Elon Musk and Doge to cut data access

More than 100 current and former federal workers sued Elon Musk and the Government Efficiency Bureau, which he runs for his allegations. Access to highly sensitive personnel records According to a, there is no proper review or approval. New federal lawsuit Submitted on Tuesday.

The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York by 104 workers, along with various unions representing government workers. The plaintiffs are asking the Department of Personnel Management (OPM), the government’s leading personnel agency, to block access to Doge and its agents.

“OPM defendants gave Doge defendants and Doge agents, many of whom were under the age of 25 and were employees of Musk’s private companies until recently, but “management” access to the OPM computer system was not available. , has not undergone the usual strict national security review. , read the lawsuit.

The complaints are named by Elon Musk, Doge, The OPM and current OPM director Charles Ezell as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges that DOGE’s acquisition of OPM records is a violation of privacy law, which prohibits inappropriate access to personal data, including federal agencies.

“Due to privacy laws, it is illegal for OPM defendants to hand over access to OPM’s millions of personnel records to Doge defendants, and there is no legal and legitimate need for such access,” the complaint argues. It’s doing it. “The Privacy Act exception covers access to records held by Doge’s OPM.”

According to the lawsuit, Doge’s agents were not government officials at the time who received access to the OPM computer network. It calls for 19-year-old Doge worker Edward Coristine It is reportedly I went online with “big ball” He’s been fired From a cybersecurity company after an internal investigation into data during his employment.

The lawsuit also argues that Doge’s access to federal workers’ data could cause professional consequences that are harmful to them, with Musk and Trand saying I threatened Dismissing employees deemed dishonest. Their disclosure of financial data could also expose workers to hacking by criminals and foreign actors, the complaint said.

The lawsuit comes amid growing controversy Access to Doge’s confidential government data As government agencies begin to establish mass layoffs and other reforms throughout the federal government.

The suit focuses on obtaining an injunction to block that access, but in “Phase 1” before the class action lawsuit, a lawyer for Victoria Noble, an Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney. I told Wired.

Doge, Musk, and OPM did not respond immediately to requests for comment.