Does the idea that Elon Musk and his minions (someone who calls himself online “Big Balls”? Really?) have been able to access your personal information bother you? If not, skip this post. But if so, there IS something you can do about it.
Yesterday, I got an email from US Representative Jamie Raskin, a Democratic Congressman from the Maryland suburbs outside Washington DC ( Tacoma Park and Silver Springs). Before going into politics, he graduated from Harvard Law School and taught Constitutional Law at American University’s School of Law. I grew up around DC, and know that area. So I trust Representative Raskin and am willing to follow his suggestions.
In the email, Ruskin explained that DOGE had dodged numerous lawsuits about its actions, particularly around accessing private information, by saying that it was a legitimate government agency. However, that means it is subject to the Federal Privacy Act of 1974. This law entitles every US citizen to access personal information held in any U.S. government records and to submit corrections if they believe the information is incorrect.
That means we have a right to see what information DOGE has collected about us. And we have the right to ask them to provide that to us.
According to Ruskin, Monday night the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that DOGE needed to respond to any requests by US citizens for the details in personal information it had accessed for each one of us. It ruled that DOGE needed to comply with any legitimate requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) about any personal information it had collected. Here is a link about the case from CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/10/politics/doge-freedom-of-information-act-foia-ruling/index.html
Congressman Ruskin sent in such a request, and is urging all Americans to do the same. Perhaps DOGE will have to pause in its willy-nilly cutting of jobs and programs across the government if it has hundreds or thousands or even millions of FOIA requests that the courts say it must honor. It’s easy to say we don’t need all these government workers until YOU have to respond to thousands or millions of citizen requests for information.
As you can see above, I’ve filled out my form and it is going into the mail tomorrow. I think this is a great way to slow down the Musk/DOGE destruction of our civil service system. But I also want to know what information about me Musk/DOGE has been able to access.
If you want to file a FOIA request, here is the link provided by Representative Ruskin’s office:
The Congressman is also asking people who file such requests to report to him so he can keep them updated. The link for that is:
Obviously, I’m in. If what DOGE has been doing concerns you, I hope you will also take the time to download the form, fill it out, and send it in. All they ask is your name, email, mailing address, birthdate, and birth place. I don’t think it took more than 5 minutes to complete the form. It does cost a stamp to mail it, but I hope most of us can spend less than $1 to slow down the DOGE assault on our federal workers.
However, I also respect different opinions. So if this doesn’t speak to you, just ignore it. I’m doing my best to love all my fellow citizens, whether we agree on these issues or not.
But for those who do agree…wouldn’t you love to see DOGE offices filled with FOIA requests? I know I would 😊
blissfullu.com 
Johannah
I’m considering this… a little worried about making myself a target this way though… but it does seem like a good thing folks in more secure positions could do. I’m on the fence. I will sleep on it. I know my silence will not protect me….
💕eddy
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I totally understand. I am a person of privilege in contemporary American society. No one in my immediate family, or even my extended family, fall into categories under attack right now (unless you count being female or a teacher, but those certainly are not at the top of the list).
All the more reason why those of us who don’t feel particularly endanged about our well-being if we speak out should be speaking out.
This morning, Jennifer Rubin of The Contrarian posted a reminder of Martin Niemöller’s famous poem:
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
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