Musk's Unseen Influence: Treasury Code Access Sparks Nationwide Outcry

Elon Musk's team was granted read-only access to U.S. Treasury payment system codes, prompting protests and political backlash. The review aims to enhance payment integrity but has sparked fears over potential misuse of sensitive payment data. Treasury denies this access affects federal payments like Social Security.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 05-02-2025 06:35 IST | Created: 05-02-2025 06:35 IST
Musk's Unseen Influence: Treasury Code Access Sparks Nationwide Outcry
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The U.S. Treasury confirmed that Elon Musk's government-efficiency team has been granted "read-only access" to its payment system codes. This move, aimed at maximizing payment integrity, has sparked significant controversy and protests, although it reportedly does not disrupt payments such as Social Security or Medicare.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has remained silent amid rising concerns about Musk's influence. Meanwhile, the shut down of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as part of broad governmental restructuring under Musk's direction, has heightened public outrage. Thousands protested outside the Treasury, challenging Musk's apparent unchecked power.

Led by Tom Krause of Cloud Software Group, the DOGE team is scrutinizing the Treasury operations. However, lawmakers, including Senator Ron Wyden, have criticized the arrangement, expressing fears over potential data exploitation. In response, Democrats are pushing legislation to limit access to sensitive government information.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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