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cover of episode Over a dozen lawsuits to stop DOGE data access are betting on a 1974 law

Over a dozen lawsuits to stop DOGE data access are betting on a 1974 law

2025/3/13
logo of podcast Consider This from NPR

Consider This from NPR
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D
Danielle Citrin
E
Elizabeth Lair
J
Jonathan Cammons
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Elizabeth Lair: 我负责中心民主和技术公平与公民技术项目。美国政府收集并存储着大量公民个人信息，包括出生日期、住址、社保号码等，甚至还包括医疗信息、财务信息以及个人重大生活事件信息，例如怀孕、生育、结婚、离婚、破产等等。这些信息的敏感程度前所未有。DOGE试图访问这些信息，这引发了人们对个人信息安全的担忧。 Jonathan Cammons: 我曾在退伍军人事务部工作超过30年，负责VA.gov的网络安全。DOGE声称其目的是查找并消除政府中的欺诈、低效和浪费，但其行为令人担忧。要查找VA中的欺诈、低效和浪费，就必须查看包含个人信息的退伍军人福利数据库，其中包含大量敏感的医疗数据，包括治疗记录、治疗方案以及关于退伍军人成瘾问题的敏感信息。 Danielle Citrin: 我是弗吉尼亚大学的法学教授。1974年隐私法旨在保护个人数据免受政府过度干预。该法案是在国会发现政府机构拥有大量数据库且数据共享缺乏监管的背景下制定的，也是在水门事件和胡佛黑名单事件的背景下制定的，旨在防止政府滥用权力，防止政府过度收集和共享个人数据。多起诉讼的原告方包括隐私保护组织、政府雇员以及数据被收集的个人，他们认为DOGE的访问行为造成了实际损害，政府应该遵守隐私法，仅在符合特定条件下才能访问和使用个人数据。特朗普政府辩称，DOGE员工有权访问这些记录以检查欺诈、浪费和滥用行为，但这是一种对隐私法的误解。即使法院裁定政府机构不应与DOGE共享敏感数据，特朗普政府仍有可能继续这样做，这将是对民主和法治的考验。

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The US government collects and stores a vast amount of sensitive personal data, including medical and financial information. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to these databases, raising concerns about data privacy.
  • The US government collects sensitive personal data, including medical and financial information.
  • DOGE is seeking access to these databases.
  • Concerns are raised about data privacy.

Shownotes Transcript

The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has been trying to access the massive amounts of Americans' personal information held in databases throughout the federal government.These databases hold information far more sensitive than name, address or even social security number. Diagnoses and medical data like treatment for mental health and addiction issues is also included in the trove of data.Now, more than a dozen lawsuits are invoking a little known law from 1974 that was designed to safeguard exactly this kind of data from federal overreach.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This), sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org).Email us at [email protected]).Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)