Judge: US gov’t violated privacy law by disclosing personal data to DOGE

A federal judge today blocked DOGE from accessing personal data held by the US Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Today's ruling follows one on Friday in a different court that blocked DOGE's access to Department of Treasury information. The American Federation of Teachers and other "plaintiffs have shown that Education and OPM likely violated the Privacy Act by disclosing their personal information to DOGE affiliates without their consent," said the order issued today by US District Judge Deborah Boardman in the District of Maryland. "This continuing, unauthorized disclosure of the plaintiffs' sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates is irreparable harm that money damages cannot rectify," she wrote. Boardman granted a temporary restraining order that's in place until March 10. She declined to extend the temporary restraining order to Department of Treasury data, but only because a different court issued a preliminary injunction blocking that ... Read full article.