Nixon Administration abuses led to the passage of strict tax privacy laws. That’s one reason moves by DOGE to access sensitive data are so controversial.

A DOGE software engineer is reportedly close to gaining access to sensitive taxpayer data, which is raising alarms. Reports that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to a guarded Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system has raised alarm bells in Washington and across the nation.