The Government Accountability Office’s audit examines DOGE’s handling of data at a number of federal agencies, according to sources and records reviewed by WIRED.

Summary

Congress’ Government Accountability Office (GAO) has been auditing Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since March over concerns about unauthorized access to sensitive data across federal agencies.

DOGE operatives—many tied to Musk’s companies and lacking government experience—have infiltrated agencies like Labor, Treasury, and Social Security, raising alarms over privacy violations and system integrity.

GAO is examining DOGE’s access levels, policy compliance, and potential misuse of data.

Lawmakers call it a “constitutional emergency,” citing fears of data consolidation, inadequate oversight, and threats to public trust and cybersecurity in the Trump administration.

  • akilou@sh.itjust.works
    50·
    3 days ago

    The GAO doesn’t actually have any authority. What’s going to happen here is that they’ll write a publicly available report detailing all of the horrible things that DOGE is doing and it’ll have a “recommendations” section at the end. And that’s it. From there it’s up to our useless Congress to act on the information, or otherwise lawsuits from anyone with standing. But we all know how that goes.

    • FlexibleToast@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      3 days ago

      Ironically, that’s part of the reason DOGE even exists. They do the same job, but congress has almost always ignored the GAO. The difference is that the GAO actually puts in the work and puts out good reports instead of just wrecking things.

    • MeaanBeaan@lemmy.world
      5·
      3 days ago

      Then Elon is going to tweet out some nonsense misrepresenting the report just like he did with their report they put out last September showing mishandled government spending to the tune of 2.3 trillion dollars between 2003 and 2023. (He first lied and said doge found the mishandled payments when they didn’t. And also said the full 2.3 trillion were Medicaid payments to individuals outside the US. Which was just a blatant fabrication)

      • havocpants@lemm.ee
        4·
        3 days ago

        But the problem is that these are bad faith actors being engaged with in good faith. They are committing crimes and causing irreversible damage and need to be stopped immediately. The US gov has been taken over by fascists and everyone is acting like it’s business as usual.

        • HubertManne@piefed.socialEnglish
          2·
          3 days ago

          I mean no one I know sees it as business as usual but I do wish the word illegal and crime was being used in broadcast news.

  • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.worldEnglish
    15·
    3 days ago

    They’re all going to say they’re new hires and weren’t educated about any limitations.

    DOGE isn’t technically new, that requires Congressional approval, Trump just renamed The US Digital Service, a little known department tasked with digital modernization formed after the Obamacare website issues. Then he let Musk do whatever the fuck he wanted with it.

    I doubt there’s a single USDS employee still there, meaning everyone would have to be new hires with less than 4 months there.

  • Patrikvo@lemmy.world
    6·
    3 days ago

    Lawmakers call it a “constitutional emergency,”

    How nice someone woke them up. Anyway where do we place our bets whether GAO makes it till easter or not?