In a dramatic escalation of a legal and political standoff, acting Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Lee Dudek—appointed under President Donald Trump—warned Thursday that he may shut down SSA systems entirely, halting Social Security payments to more than 70 million Americans, if Elon Musk’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is denied access to sensitive personal data.
The threat came in response to a temporary restraining order issued by a federal judge, which barred DOGE affiliates from accessing personally identifiable information held by the Social Security Administration. The court order was issued after a legal challenge by the AFL-CIO labor union, which argued that allowing DOGE unfettered access to private data violated federal privacy and administrative law.
“As it stands, I will follow it exactly and terminate access by all SSA employees to our IT systems,” Dudek said, according to Bloomberg News. “Really, I want to turn it off and let the courts figure out how they want to run a federal agency.”
Judge: SSA Violated Privacy Laws
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander sharply criticized the SSA for what she called “unbridled access” granted to DOGE, including Elon Musk. She found that the agency likely violated both the Privacy Act and administrative law by allowing DOGE access to sensitive records without appropriate oversight or justification.
The data in question includes a staggering array of personally identifiable information, such as:
- Social Security numbers
- Medical and mental health records
- Hospitalization history
- Bank and credit card details
- Tax and income information
- Work history
- Home and mailing addresses
- Birth and marriage certificates
“Defendants, with so-called experts on the DOGE Team, never identified or articulated even a single reason for which the DOGE Team needs unlimited access to SSA’s entire record systems,” Hollander wrote. “This exposes the personal, confidential, sensitive, and private information that millions of Americans entrusted to their government.”
While the judge’s order does permit access to redacted or anonymized records, it requires that DOGE members complete federal privacy training before handling any Social Security data.
Dudek: SSA Systems Will Be “Turned Off”
Rather than comply with these restrictions, Dudek appeared to threaten a full-scale shutdown of the agency’s IT systems if DOGE’s access is not fully restored.
“My anti-fraud team would be DOGE affiliates. My IT staff would be DOGE affiliates,” Dudek insisted, portraying the federal court’s order as too restrictive.
Such a move would halt Social Security payments, delay benefits processing, and obstruct customer service functions—jeopardizing the financial stability of tens of millions of seniors, disabled individuals, survivors, and low-income beneficiaries.
SSA Already Under Strain From DOGE Restructuring
Dudek’s comments come amid broader controversy over DOGE’s influence at the SSA. Under Musk’s guidance, the department has pushed for:
- The closure of dozens of SSA field offices
- Potential elimination of telephone support
- Mandatory in-person identity verification for benefit claims and direct deposit changes
Critics argue these measures disproportionately harm vulnerable populations—including elderly and disabled Americans—who may lack internet access or the ability to travel to in-person appointments.
As previously reported, SSA offices are already overwhelmed, and the agency is facing a 12% staffing cut, eliminating over 7,000 jobs amid an aging beneficiary population and increasing workloads.
“The system is being gutted from the inside out,” said one SSA employee who spoke anonymously. “We’re being told to do more with less while Musk and his people take over without understanding how any of this actually works.”
Elon Musk’s Role and Radical Claims
Elon Musk, now overseeing DOGE, has made multiple unfounded claims about Social Security, including:
- Calling the program “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time”
- Suggesting that millions of deceased individuals are fraudulently receiving benefits
- Claiming, without evidence, that he can cut $700 billion in “fraud” from entitlement programs—an amount experts agree is wildly exaggerated
Musk’s push to control SSA data has raised alarms among privacy advocates, labor unions, and civil rights groups, especially given his open disdain for Social Security’s structure and role in American life.
What’s at Stake for Seniors
More than 71 million Americans rely on Social Security for financial stability. A shutdown of SSA systems would suspend payments, delay disability and retirement claims, and effectively freeze all agency services.
“This is not a game,” said AFL-CIO spokesperson Maria Sanchez. “You don’t hold seniors, veterans, and the disabled hostage just because Elon Musk can’t access your Social Security number.”
The court’s temporary restraining order remains in place while litigation proceeds, but with Dudek signaling a full system shutdown if DOGE’s access isn’t restored, the risk of service disruption looms large.
For now, beneficiaries should monitor SSA.gov for service updates, and those who experience payment disruptions or service issues are urged to contact the SSA immediately at 1-800-772-1213.
Final Takeaway
President Trump’s Social Security leadership is pushing into unprecedented territory by threatening to turn off a critical safety net program over a data privacy dispute. The coming weeks may determine whether the federal courts—and the public—will allow it.
– More Social Security News and Updates from FingerLakes1.com
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