DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is gaining 'god mode' powers that give it access to all kinds of government data
DOGE Has 'God Mode' Access to Government Data - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/02/doge-god-mode-access/681719/
According to two federal government officials who spoke with The Atlantic, Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer who became director of Technology Transformation Services (TTS) at the General Services Administration (GSA) in February, requested privileged access to 19 different IT systems managed by the TTS team. Shedd is said to be a close ally of Musk and has told GSA officials he will promote an 'AI-first strategy' and has positioned TTS and DOGE as pillars of the technology strategy.
The high level of control granted to Shedd allows him to view and edit a wide range of agency data, as well as grant and revoke access to other users. GSA Deputy Spokesperson Will Powell said in a statement that Shedd requested the permissions to quickly identify areas for optimization and efficiency, and is working with appropriate GSA officials to follow established protocols.
DOGE has also acquired 'god mode' authority to view and control the entire digital system of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) , which is responsible for the US government's overseas aid, The Atlantic reports. This gives DOGE access to confidential data such as social security numbers, addresses, and personnel information of USAID employees, as well as control of the payroll management system. DOGE also has access to the grant system that approves billions of dollars in government spending.
'This is like our worst fears coming true,' one government information security contractor said of DOGE's 'god mode' for USAID. DOGE is meant to streamline government waste, but some officials worry it could damage or hijack IT systems or embezzle funds.
USAID also has staff working in conflict zones such as Ukraine, Sudan and Ethiopia, and there are fears that DOGE could arbitrarily fire these staff and lock them out of USAID's IT systems. 'What if our staff working in conflict zones lose access to their USAID laptops, smartphones and accounts, which are their only means of communication? We are putting their lives at risk,' said one official, warning that even a slight mistake or rash action could put lives at risk.
At the time of writing, only USAID has confirmed that DOGE has acquired 'God Mode,' but DOGE is also seeking access to databases and IT systems from other government agencies, including
Also, if DOGE gets 'god mode' at the Treasury Department , Musk's minions will be able to see Americans' names, Social Security numbers, financial information, etc. A senior USAID official expressed concern, saying, 'It's not ridiculous to think that they have the bank accounts and bank codes for every person in the United States.'
Within NASA, DOGE employees already have access to contracts, partnerships, performance evaluations, classified national security information, and satellite data, which, if in the wrong hands, could erase generations of American advantage in aerospace and defense capabilities and put aviation and spacecraft at risk.
The Atlantic cites the CDC, a research institute for infectious diseases, as the next government agency that DOGE may have access to. The Trump administration fired 700 CDC employees in February, making it difficult for the CDC to resist changes in access to its IT systems.
In 2025, the CDC plans to roll out a centralized data platform for public health surveillance and emergency response to infectious disease threats such as avian flu and measles, which will aggregate hundreds of thousands of anonymized clinical data and disease reports. There are concerns that this aggregated data, even if anonymized, could easily identify individuals, and that when combined with other government data collected by DOGE, individuals could be more easily identified.
In addition, there is also the risk that Musk and others could simply commit corruption. For example, Musk is the CEO of the space development company SpaceX, and if Musk were to gain access to NASA's confidential data, there is a risk that technical specifications and research data of NASA's competitors would be leaked.
The Atlantic pointed out that after speaking with officials working at various government agencies over the course of several days, it became clear that DOGE already had an extraordinary amount of power. 'Federal agencies are subject to various forms of administrative and legal oversight and operate independently of each other for legitimate reasons, to support their own special objectives and to insulate them from undue outside influence. Now, Elon Musk is effectively coming into their midst,' he said. 'The federal government does not normally allow such broad access to a single agency, much less one that is under the control of an unelected, unstable, and politically radical person like Mr. Musk,' he said, expressing concern about DOGE's enormous power.
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