A federal judge blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Americans’ personal data from the Social Security Administration (SSA), calling it a “fishing expedition.”

Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander’s ruling criticized DOGE for failing to justify its need for vast amounts of sensitive information.

The order also requires DOGE to delete any non-anonymized data collected since January 20.

The lawsuit was filed by unions and retiree groups, arguing that DOGE’s actions violate privacy laws, CNBC has reported.

The White House condemned the ruling, while the SSA pledged to comply.

Written by B.C. Begley