According to the executive order, DOGE teams, which “typically include a DOGE team lead, an engineer, a human resources specialist, and an attorney,” are sent to various agencies. They gain “access to all unclassified agency records, software systems and IT systems,” ostensibly with the aim of streamlining data sharing across federal agencies.
A former USDS employee who spoke to Kabel on condition of anonymity called the digital service’s transition an “A+ bureaucratic jiu-jitsu move.” But they say they are concerned that Doge’s access to sensitive information could be used to do more than just optimize government operations.
“Is this tech talent being tipped off about using federal government data to track down adversaries?” they ask. “Specific populations that are of interest to this administration for the purposes of targeting them or exterminating them or whatever it might be?”
Do you have a tip?
Are you a current or former employee of US Digital Services or another government agency affected by Doge? We would like to hear from you. Contact Vittoria Elliott using a non-work phone or computer at vittoria_elliott@wired.com or safely at Velliott88.18 on Signal.
However, it appears that the First Order of Doge is exposing people in agencies that could fall back on the Trump administration’s agenda, Starting with existing USDS employeesAnd hire new people.
“DOGE teams have a lawyer, an HR director and an engineer. If you’re looking for features to cut, people to cut, have an HR director there and a lawyer say, “Here’s what we do or don’t do, one way you would facilitate this would be,” according to Don Moynihan, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan, notes that Doge’s potential access to federal employees could put “them in some kind of crosshairs for firing them.”
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Exactly who will be part of Doge is a particularly thorny issue since there are technically two Dogs. One of these is the permanent organization, the revised USDs – now in the US Doge service. The other is a temporary organization with a termination date of July 4, 2026. The creation of this organization means that the temporary Doge can work under a special set of rules. It can obey employees from other parts of the government and also accept people Who wants to work as a volunteer for the government. Temporary organizations can also hire what are known as special employees – experts in a specific field who can bypass the rigors of regular federal hiring processes. They are also not subject to the same transparency requirements as other government employees.
In a best-case scenario, DOGE would enable the ability to quickly address problems and quickly track necessary talent, as well as create systems that make government services more seamless by enabling the flow of information and data. But in a worst-case scenario, it could mean less transparency for the interests of people working on important government projects while allowing for possible surveillance.
