A coalition of more than twelve U.S. states is preparing to launch a lawsuit aimed at preventing billionaire Elon Musk’s cost-reducing team from gaining access to sensitive federal payment systems that include personal information about American citizens.
In a concise announcement issued by 13 Democratic attorneys general from states like California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, and New York, the coalition expressed its intention to pursue legal action “to defend our Constitution, our privacy rights, and the crucial funding that individuals and communities across the nation depend upon.”
The states’ coalition did not specify when the lawsuit would be filed, which court it would be submitted to, or the precise remedies the attorneys general were seeking. TechCrunch reached out to various U.S. state governments for comment but did not receive a response.
This upcoming lawsuit follows shortly after Musk’s team, largely composed of young professionals from his various enterprises, gained access to major U.S. government departments and databases. These include systems that house the personal details of millions of Americans who receive Social Security benefits, tax refunds, and other federal payments. Historically, access to these systems has been restricted to a limited number of career departmental staff due to the sensitive nature of the data involved.
Musk and his group, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), currently oversee the U.S. Treasury, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, among other significant federal entities. Senior Democratic leaders have expressed concerns that Musk’s access poses a national security threat, particularly in light of his extensive business ties in China.
Musk, who is the wealthiest individual globally, has a net worth exceeding $400 billion.
Although the U.S. lacks comprehensive nationwide data protection for its citizens, individual states have long enacted laws designed to safeguard the data of their residents, including data handled at the federal level.
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