A federal judge in Washington, D.C. has issued a temporary restraining order preventing Elon Musk and his technical team from accessing certain government databases. The ruling came Thursday morning from U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.
The order stems from concerns about unauthorized access to personal information of government employees. State Democracy Defender’s Action and Public Citizen were among the groups that brought the case forward.
According to court documents, the ruling specifically restricts access for Treasury Department employees who lack proper security clearance. The order will stay in place until the court decides on a preliminary injunction motion.
The case highlighted questions about data security and proper oversight. The plaintiffs argued that Musk’s team had been accessing sensitive personal information without required security clearances or congressional supervision.
Judge Kollar-Kotelly brings significant experience to this case, having previously served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA). She was appointed to that role by former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
Norm Eisen, one of the parties involved in the case, described the ruling as a “big win” on social media platform BlueSky. The victory was shared by his organization, State Democracy Defender’s Action, along with their partners at Public Citizen.
The temporary restraining order specifically addresses Treasury Department employees who are not Special Government Employees. It applies to those who would normally need access to certain records or systems for their job duties.
This ruling represents a significant check on access to government databases and raises important questions about privacy protections for government employees’ personal information. It also highlights growing concerns about proper oversight of private sector access to sensitive government data.
The case continues to develop as the court awaits the preliminary injunction motion, which will determine longer-term restrictions on database access.
