American Oversight Sues Social Security Administration for Refusing DOGE Data Records

American Oversight sued the Social Security Administration on November 11, 2026, alleging the agency violated the Freedom of Information Act by refusing to release records on how DOGE staff accessed sensitive Social Security data. Yahoo reported the 28-page complaint, which seeks a court order to produce the records within 20 days.

American Oversight's FOIA Complaint Against the SSA

The Social Security Administration is the federal agency that administers retirement, disability, survivor, family and SSI benefits. American Oversight accused the agency of failing to release information about how DOGE teams embedded within it shared data containing personally identifiable information.

The complaint follows whistleblower disclosures and a Maryland court filing in which the government admitted DOGE team members may have violated internal SSA policy or the court's order restricting access to the data. That January filing described the use of a third-party server administered by Cloudflare to upload large amounts of sensitive data, and conceded the agency "had not been able to determine exactly what data were shared to Cloudflare or whether the data still existed on the server." One DOGE team member attached a file with names and addresses of approximately 1,000 people derived from SSA systems of record to an email sent outside the agency, according to the lawsuit.

American Oversight filed an initial FOIA request in October 2025 and two more earlier this year. The lawsuit says the SSA has not produced responsive records on the first two requests, and in July issued a "Glomar" response declining to confirm or deny the existence of records on the third. The group appealed in August, and the agency confirmed receipt that month.

"Americans hand over their most sensitive personal information to the federal government because they have to, and they have every right to expect that information will be protected," American Oversight Executive Director Chioma Chukwu said in a statement. "Instead, the Trump administration gave DOGE access to that information, and we're now learning about serious failures to safeguard it."

What the Agency Records Show

According to akta.pro company records, the Social Security Administration distributes more than $1.6 trillion in annual benefit payments to 75 million active beneficiaries, and more than 300 million Americans hold active Social Security numbers. The agency was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Baltimore.

Earlier Social Security Administration Changes

The agency said in November 2026 that it is switching administration of its Direct Express prepaid cards from Comerica Bank to Fifth Third Bank, with new cards sent to beneficiaries starting mid-2026 and distribution continuing into early 2027, AL.com reported. The Social Security Administration also raised the maximum taxable earnings cap to $192,300 in 2027, nj reported in November 2026.

What Comes Next in the FOIA Case

The lawsuit asks a judge to order the SSA to conduct searches reasonably calculated to uncover all responsive records and to produce them within 20 days of a court order, along with indexes justifying any withholdings claimed under exemption.