Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has raised concerns by seeking access to the United States tax system, which holds detailed financial information on millions of American taxpayers, according to reports from US media.
Led by Musk, the billionaire CEO, DOGE is part of a broader campaign launched by President Donald Trump aimed at reducing public spending deemed wasteful or at odds with his policies. As part of this initiative, DOGE has requested access to several sensitive systems within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), which provides near-instantaneous access to taxpayer account details.
The request, which has not yet been approved, has stirred alarm among privacy advocates and government officials. Access to the IRS's systems is typically highly restricted, and critics argue that giving Musk or his department such access could pose significant risks to individual privacy, potentially exposing personal financial data to misuse.
"Individuals share their most sensitive data with the government under the assumption that it will be used responsibly and securely," said Elizabeth Laird, a former state privacy officer now working with the Center for Democracy and Technology. "This proposal raises serious concerns about identity theft and the invasion of privacy."
A spokesperson for the White House defended the request, asserting that direct access to IRS systems is necessary to root out waste, fraud, and inefficiency within the federal government. Harrison Fields, a White House official, explained, "DOGE’s work is essential in shedding light on government spending, and the American people deserve to know where their tax dollars are going."
