The acting head of the Social Security Administration (SSA) has made a stunning declaration: if Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is denied access to Americans’ personal data, the agency may effectively shut down. This threat, issued by Lee Dudek, follows a court ruling restricting DOGE’s access to highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, medical records, and financial details. Dudek claims that without DOGE’s involvement, his IT and anti-fraud teams would be unable to function, and as a result, he would block all SSA employees from accessing the agency’s systems—potentially halting Social Security payments for millions of Americans.
The controversy stems from a legal battle between the SSA and the AFL-CIO labor union. A judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing the SSA from granting DOGE access to its extensive database of personally identifiable information. The ruling also mandates that Musk and his team delete any non-anonymized data they may have already obtained. In her decision, Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander emphasized that the SSA had likely violated federal privacy laws by giving DOGE unrestricted access to highly confidential records. She further noted that Musk’s team had failed to justify why they needed complete and unfiltered access to such a vast trove of information.
Despite the court’s decision, Dudek insists that these restrictions make it impossible for DOGE to perform its duties. He argues that unless Musk and his team receive the unredacted data they are seeking, the entire Social Security system could be jeopardized. Meanwhile, the ruling does allow DOGE to access anonymized or redacted records, provided they undergo standard privacy training required for SSA employees. However, this compromise has not satisfied the Trump administration, which appears determined to push for full data access.
At the same time, DOGE is moving forward with significant operational changes at the SSA, including plans to close dozens of field offices and limit phone-based services. These measures would require Social Security recipients, many of whom are elderly or disabled, to verify their identities in person—an additional burden that could prevent people from receiving their benefits on time. Critics argue that such moves could severely disrupt the already fragile system, potentially delaying payments for millions who rely on them for financial stability.
Elon Musk, who has previously described Social Security as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” has made sweeping claims about rampant fraud in government assistance programs. Without evidence, he has suggested that millions of deceased individuals continue to receive benefits. He has also proposed cutting $700 billion in fraudulent payments annually—an amount experts believe is wildly exaggerated. As the legal battle continues, the Trump administration maintains that Musk and DOGE must be granted full access to Americans’ private data, or Social Security itself may be at risk.