AFT’s Randi Weingarten Responds to Elon Musk’s Invasion of Our Privacy

WASHINGTON—AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after reports that Elon Musk has been granted illegal access to Americans’ personal data:

“Why is President Trump allowing Elon Musk to muck around with people’s private financial data?

“It appears Musk has hacked into millions of Americans’ personal information and now has access to their taxes, Social Security, student debt and financial aid filings.

“We are deeply concerned, as an organization that represents hundreds of thousands of educators, healthcare providers and public service workers who pay taxes, including Social Security, and who have their own student loan debt or are parents of students enrolled in the federal student aid program.

“What are the guardrails to stop this unlawful invasion of privacy? No one gave the U.S. government permission to weaponize confidential financial and personal information against American citizens. And certainly no one gave Elon Musk the right to steal private data—presumably to assist in cutting taxes for himself and other billionaires.

“Musk is an unelected and unaccountable oligarch. His so-called Department of Government Efficiency was not created by Congress. And voters certainly did not elect Trump to hijack their financial information and hand it over to billionaires like Musk, whose secret operation is operating with zero transparency and in clear violation of federal law.

“We are urging Congress and the president to protect those they were elected to serve and to restrain Musk before he puts millions of Americans’ personal finances at even graver risk.”