Literature Guide to Trump-Era Policies and DOGE's Impact on Personal and Public Data
The Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub curates the latest literature on the challenges posed to personal and public data by the Trump Administration and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Hub tracks the evolving government policies on data access and regulation that directly influence innovation and market competition in the AI space. By consolidating the latest news, research, and policy analyses, we provide our audience with a timely resource to understand how these shifts are reshaping the digital ecosystem.
Led by Dr. Susan Aaronson and Michael Moreno
US economic data at risk from Elon Musk’s Doge cuts
By Claire Jones, published in the FT (March 27, 2025)
DOGE comes for the data wonks
By The Economist, published in The Economist (March 30, 2025)
DOGE staffer who shared Treasury data now has more access to government systems
By Stephen Fowler and Jenna McLaughlin, published in NPR (March 31, 2025)
Data privacy experts call DOGE actions ‘alarming’
By Paige Gross, published in Nebraska Examiner (March 19, 2025)
Trump pens executive order pushing agencies to share data
By Natalie Alms in NextGovFCW (March 21, 2025)
Trump Administration, DOGE Activities Risk SSA Operations and Security of Personal Data
By Jacob Leibenluft, Devin O’Connor, and Kathleen Romig, published in Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (March 25, 2025)
Judge says Treasury, Education, OPM can’t share personal information with DOGE
By Matt Bracken, published in FedScoop (March 24, 2025)
CDT and The Leadership Conference Release New Analysis of DOGE, Government Data, and Privacy Trends
By Elizabeth Laird, Kristin Woelfel, and Quinn Anex-Ries, published in CDT (March 19, 2025)
Rep. Connolly Demands Answers After Reports DOGE is Feeding Americans’ Private Data Into Unapproved AI Systems, Using AI to Slash Programs
By Office of Rep. Connolly (March 12, 2025)
DOGE Staffer Broke Treasury Rules Transmitting Personal Data
By Gregory Korte and Erik Larson published in Bloomberg (March 15, 2025)
Federal judge considers blocking DOGE from accessing Social Security data of millions of Americans
By Lea Skene and Lindsay Whitehurst, published in AP (March 14, 2025)
USPS head agrees to let DOGE find ‘efficiencies’ — with limits to employee data access
By Hansi Lo Wang, published in NPR (March 14, 2025)
DOGE Plan to Push AI Across the US Federal Government is Wildly Dangerous
By Ben Green published in Tyechpolicy.Press (March 6, 2025)
DOGE threat: How government data would give an AI company extraordinary power
By Alison Stanger published in The Conversation (March 6, 2025)
Commerce Secretary’s Comments Raise Fears of Interference in Federal Data
By Ben Casselman and Colby Smith, published in The NYT (March 4, 2025)
DOGE’s Push for Americans’ Data Meets Mixed Response From Judges
By Zoe Tillman, published in Bloomberg March 10, 2025)
The law everyone is suddenly turning to because of DOGE
By Alfred Ng, published in Politico (March 6, 2025)
Unions ask court to stop DOGE from accessing Social Security data of millions of Americans
By Fatima Huessein and Lindsay Whitehurst, published in AP (March 8, 2025)
Judge Won’t Block DOGE Access to Sensitive Treasury Data
By Jan Wolfe and Jacob Gershman, published in the WSJ (March 7, 2025)
DOGE targets child support database full of income data
Act of Congress Establishing the Treasury Department
See Section 8
US judge declines to block DOGE team from Treasury data access due to lack of immediate harm
By Joshua Villanueva, published in Jurist News (March 9, 2025)
DOGE Gains Access to Confidential Records on Housing Discrimination, Medical Details — Even Domestic Violence
By Jesse Coburn, published in ProPublica (February 26, 2025)
Trump administration disbands two expert panels on economic data
By Reuters (March
Upcoming Event
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Details:
The President and Vice President of the US have made it clear: AI is a national security and economic priority. Vice President Vance declared, “this administration will ensure that American AI technology continues to be the gold standard worldwide and we are the partner of choice for others — foreign countries and certainly businesses — as they expand their own use of AI.” But the Biden and Trump Administration have not paid sufficient attention to a key element of the AI supply chain, data. In contrast with Germany, Switzerland, and other countries, the US has no national strategy for the role of data in the economy or for the various types of data that underpin foundation models. The US also has no clear strategy for domestic or international dataset sharing beyond the NAIRR, which could be defunded. The Biden Administration issued the first executive orders since Reagan, to limit the free flow of data and data broker sales to some countries. Please join us for Webinar 50 which will explore the implications of U.S. data policies for AI development.
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What do we do
The Digital Trade & Data Governance Hub provide resources, training, events, and evidence-based research to help stakeholders understand data governance and digital trade.
Evidence based Research
Training
seminars
Recent Publications
How should we think about data?
We have little information about what data firms collect, how these firms use or sell our data, or how they mix various data types. If we want these markets to operate more equitably and efficiently, policymakers must focus on the governance of data.
Personal Data
e.g. birthdates
Proprietary or Confidential Business Data
e.g. payrolls
Public Data
Data in the public domain, census data, scientific data, etc
Metadata
Supposedly anonymized personal data
Machine to Machine Communication
Satellite Data
Wondering who we are?
We are a team with a diverse background in international trade, international affairs, economics, public policy, and communication.
