IRS sounds alarm after DOGE seeks access to sensitive taxpayer data
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DOGE representatives are looking to gain access to the Integrated Data Retrieval System, which stores the private information of millions of Americans, including personal IDs and bank information.
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A sign outside the Internal Revenue Service building is seen, on May 4, 2021. (AP)
The US Department of Government Efficient (DOGE) is trying to gain access to a very sensitive Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system that includes the detailed financial information of every taxpayer, business, and non-profit in the United States, according to three people familiar with the activities.
DOGE's activity sparked alarm within the tax agency, which, under pressure from the White House, is considering a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to grant DOGE officials access to the IRS' systems, property, and datasets, including the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), which includes personal IDs and bank information.
It also lets them enter and adjust transaction data and automatically generate notices, collection documents, and other records.
According to a draft of the MoU obtained by The Washington Post, DOGE software engineer Gavin Kilger will work at the IRS for 120 days with potential for renewal, with the primary goal of providing engineering assistance and IT modernization consulting while maintaining the confidentiality of tax return information and having to destroy any information shared with him during this period.
IDRS access is extremely exclusive, and taxpayers who have had their information wrongfully disclosed or even accessed are entitled by law to monetary damages, raising concerns regarding DOGE's desire to access the secretive system considering that even IRS commissioners do not have access to the IDRS, let alone political appointees.
DOGE's crackdown causes controversy
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has been cracking down on many US agencies and departments, claiming to combat corruption, bureaucracy, and government spending, however, the execution of this strategy was not spared any controversy.
Over 9,500 jobs were cut from US departments concerned with nuclear security, public lands, and health programs as part of DOGE's efforts; around 2000 employees from the Department of Energy were laid off, while the Department of Interior saw 2,300 workers fired.
Concerns were raised regarding the nation's ability to handle public health crises after 1,300 employees were fired from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost one-third of its staff.
Previously, agents from DOGE gained access to restricted government records on millions of federal employees in several departments, including those in sensitive positions in the US Treasury and State Department, raising concerns of misuse or security breaches.
The agents received administrative access to the Office of Personnel Management's systems, days after Trump's inauguration, allowing them to install and modify software, as well as alter internal records of their activities.
A US Judge recently issued an emergency order to block DOGE's team from accessing the personal and financial data of Americans stored at the US Department of Treasury, mandating that individuals who gained any access to Treasury records must "immediately destroy any and all copies" of the materials obtained.
