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DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

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Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#132

Honestly when DOGE was first announced, I thought it will be a tiny department that does almost nothing and produces recommendations and PDFs that nobody reads. I didn't expect this.

My brain immediately latched on to how much control could be exerted through the guise of "efficiency", you could effetely run a whole government from there. But I was expecting more installing a bunch of so-called "efficiency officers" in every department to report back when they weren't being loyal... er efficient.

I was not expecting the complete takeover of computer networks and rapid firing of large numbers of employees.

Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#133
post #110

European here, giving my two cents on how this looks from the other side of the Atlantic. Heh In my country there are laws stopping agencies doing a simple SQL join between two databases, even within the same government agency. There is a separate agency that handles the requests when agencies want to join information. I am not an expert in the matter. But my gut is telling me that our experiences with east Germany a…

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Who has been tasked? Under what authority? Not Elon Musk, according to Donald Trump.

More seriously, if it was true it would be a stupid task, with stupidly inappropriate people selected to do it. What is actually happening is idiot destruction. Whether that was the intent or simply the obvious outcome of stupidity is irrelevant to the damage being done.

Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#134
post #110

European here, giving my two cents on how this looks from the other side of the Atlantic. Heh In my country there are laws stopping agencies doing a simple SQL join between two databases, even within the same government agency. There is a separate agency that handles the requests when agencies want to join information. I am not an expert in the matter. But my gut is telling me that our experiences with east Germany a…

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Do you have an alert setup to tell you when people are bashing the DoGE?

Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#135
post #110

European here, giving my two cents on how this looks from the other side of the Atlantic. Heh In my country there are laws stopping agencies doing a simple SQL join between two databases, even within the same government agency. There is a separate agency that handles the requests when agencies want to join information. I am not an expert in the matter. But my gut is telling me that our experiences with east Germany a…

Very few countries have as strong executive branch as the USA.

We call those ones “monarchies” or “dictatorships”.

Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#136
post #5

If they have the ability to change data, then absolutely none of their claims can be trusted. Neither Musk nor his A-team of hackers have demonstrated any integrity through their career - contrary to HN guidelines, the default position is to assume the worst from them. Think about it once they begin putting the opposition on show trials.

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Now that they can edit data, nothing can be proven, as they broke the chain of trust and accountability.

A criminal case can be thrown out if policemen didn't follow procedure, the same applies here. Those rules are put in place to protect all of us, and can't be handwaved because "that guy got elected" (with 49.8% of popular votes BTW).

Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#137

I find it wild that apparently there is no law onto which government workers can cling to refuse these requests. Is it all just based on conventions, goodwill and culture?

The most distressing thing I learned in the past 3 ~~Years~~ edit: months,, was how MUCH laws are about norms. Norms, are basically the way laws work in the real world. I despaired, because this is natural to lawyers, and alien entirely to the layperson. No one is going to think Justice, and then accept “Oh, our norms are how laws work”.

The past three years? Why that time period? (I thought trumps first term was when it all became obvious).

Re: DOGE has 'god mode' access to government data

#138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

who even knows the law in the moment? the seal of the president is p convincing. heck just look at all the social engineering/phishing that works

Do civil servants have trade unions in the US? This seems like a place they could step up to offer advice.

Yes, and they have sued over several events so far. I don’t know what advice they could give in the moment.
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