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Investing.com -- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the Department of Education received clearance on Monday to share sensitive data with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). A divided federal appeals court approved the move, staying a preliminary injunction that had previously blocked the data sharing.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Virginia, voted 2-1 to put the injunction on hold. The injunction, imposed by U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman in Greenbelt, Maryland, is now pending an appeal. The appeals court also voted 8-7 against taking up the matter "en banc," a procedure where all active judges would decide on the issue. Two judges appointed by Democratic presidents joined six Republican appointees in the majority.
DOGE was established as part of former U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to reduce the size of the federal government. The department faced legal challenges from groups such as the American Federation of Teachers who sought to prevent Musk's team from reviewing data. The data in question included Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses, income, citizenship status, and student loan borrowings for millions of Americans.
The plaintiffs argued that allowing DOGE to access this data would violate individuals' privacy and could potentially enable the government to use the data for other purposes, such as advancing immigration goals. The Department of the Treasury, which manages systems for disbursing Social Security benefits, income tax refunds, and other sums, was also sued in relation to this matter.
At the time of writing, lawyers for the plaintiffs and the U.S. Department of Justice have not responded to requests for comment.
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