This year in 2025, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) came under congressional scrutiny after reports revealed it was building a centralized “master database” of sensitive personal information. Whistleblowers disclosed that DOGE was gathering data from agencies such as the Social Security Administration, IRS, and state voter systems without proper oversight or legal clarity. Lawmakers expressed concern that the project lacked transparency and circumvented federal privacy safeguards. In response, Democratic legislators proposed the Privacy Act Modernization Act of 2025 to update outdated protections and limit overreach. The bill would close legal loopholes, strengthen data minimization practices, and give individuals more control over how their information is used. Civil liberties groups, including Public Citizen, have voiced support for the legislation, warning of the dangers posed by unchecked data consolidation. DOGE’s use of data mining tools to extract and combine sensitive information without safeguards has raised significant alarm. Critics argue that unless strong regulations are enforced, similar programs could expand quietly and without accountability.