US judge denies request to block Musk's DOGE access to student data

A US judge on Monday temporarily denied a request to block Elon Musk’s government efficiency team, DOGE, from accessing student data held by the Education Department, marking a legal victory for Musk in his efforts to reduce public spending.

Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has faced legal challenges as it seeks to cut expenditures it deems wasteful or inconsistent with former President Donald Trump’s policies. The University of California Student Association had filed a lawsuit to prevent DOGE from accessing sensitive student data, including Social Security numbers, loans, and tax information.
However, federal Judge Randolph D. Moss ruled that potential harm to students was purely speculative, stating that the lawsuit presented no substantial evidence to suggest that Musk's team would misuse or further distribute the data. The judge allowed both parties time to gather additional evidence before he makes a final ruling on whether the lawsuit should proceed.

DOGE, although not an official government agency, has sought data from several federal bodies. This comes after Musk's team sparked controversy earlier this month when they attempted to access sensitive data from the Treasury Department, with reports indicating that an internal assessment had labeled their access as "the single biggest insider threat" the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has ever encountered.