Hundreds of millions of Americans’ most sensitive personal data may soon be housed in a massive centralized database controlled by Elon Musk’s “DOGE” Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a report from The Verge.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, has requested an official investigation into what he describes as a deeply alarming initiative being undertaken by the agency, warning that DOGE is working to combine sensitive information previously kept separate in various federal databases.
“Backpacks Full of Laptops” and Secret Consolidation of Federal Data
According to Connolly’s letter, DOGE engineers are allegedly traveling with “backpacks full of laptops” and using them to merge databases from federal agencies including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“In an apparent attempt to sidestep network security controls,” Connolly wrote, “the Committee has learned that DOGE engineers have tried to create specialized computers for themselves that simultaneously give full access to networks and databases across different agencies.” He added, “Such a system would pose unprecedented operational security risks and undermine the zero-trust cybersecurity architecture that prevents a breach at one agency from spreading across the government.”
Privacy Experts Say the Centralized Database Would Be a “Weapon”
John Davisson, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, called the alleged efforts “terrifying.”
“Aggregation of data is building a weapon, essentially, and it’s one that can be used in a lot of different ways,” Davisson told The Verge.
DOGE’s Staffing History Raises More Red Flags
Connolly’s concerns also extend to DOGE’s staff. Bloomberg reported in February that one of the agency’s most well-known hires, 19-year-old Edward Coristine—who reportedly goes by the nickname “Big Balls”—was previously fired from a different job for leaking company secrets.
The fears about DOGE’s security practices are further amplified by the nature of its apparent bypassing of federal cybersecurity protections and the sheer scale of the data involved.
Centralization Could Violate Federal Law
Connolly’s letter highlights the potential legal implications of DOGE’s actions. By drawing data from multiple federal systems into a single centralized platform, the agency may be violating data privacy laws intended to limit how and where personal information is stored and accessed.
He warned that the aggregation of IRS, SSA, and HHS data represents a “tremendous security risk” and may be in direct violation of existing federal data handling rules.
Lawmakers Sound the Alarm
Connolly’s letter is a formal call for a committee investigation into the legality and security of DOGE’s operations. With data from numerous federal agencies allegedly being funneled into one massive system, the stakes for personal privacy and national security are high.
As the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Connolly’s concerns may soon lead to broader scrutiny of Musk’s influence in federal data systems and the unchecked power of DOGE.
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