Elon Musk's DOGE leaks classified govt information to entire world, intel officers blame '25-year-old programmers...'

Elon Musk's newly-launched website DOGE accidentally posted classified government information about the US intelligence agency.

Published on: Feb 15, 2025, 20:13:58 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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Billionaire Elon Musk's newly-launched website the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accidentally posted classified government information about the US intelligence agency, sending shockwaves among the intelligence community.

Elon Musk's DOGE website, which became operational on Wednesday, provides information about federal staff, including budgetary specifics and employee headcounts. (AFP)

The website, which became operational on Wednesday, provides information about federal staff, including budgetary specifics and employee headcounts.

Military and intelligence agencies are not included in the site's employment data, according to a note at the bottom, but HuffPost revealed that classified workforce information remains viewable.

The HuffPost report further stated that the website released information regarding the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the government intelligence organisation responsible for developing and launching American surveillance satellites. The NRO's manpower and budget were also available on the DOGE's website despite being classified.

The NRO is the only agency out of 18 intel agencies whose data is available on the site.

Intel officers express worries over data leak

Following this, government workers and intelligence officers are rushing to see if more confidential data has been leaked.

“DOGE just posted secret NOFURN [not releasable to foreign nationals] info on their website about [intelligence community] headcount, so currently people are scrambling to check if their info has been accessed,” an anonymous Defense Intelligence Agency official told the outlet.

There are significant questions over how Musk's team obtained the data and whether it should have been made public. The website's creators may not have understood what they were dealing with, according to worried intelligence authorities.

“These 25-year-old programmers, I don’t think they have enough experience to know what they don’t know,” one aide told HuffPost.

Reacting to the data leak, a spokesperson for the NRO said: “We defer to the Department of Government Efficiency for comment on the release of information posted on DOGE.gov.”

Also Read: Elon Musk's dad reinvokes bizarre conspiracy theory against Michelle Obama, Internet fumes

Musk's DOGE website got hacked as WH reacts to data leak

Musk's DOGE also got indulged in another controversy, hackers uploaded hoax statements on the site. “This is a joke of a .gov site,” the message read, adding that “THESE ‘EXPERTS’ LEFT THEIR DATABASE OPEN -roro.”

A White House spokeswoman claimed that detractors were disseminating false information. “DOGE did not share classified information, any assertion to the contrary is a lie,” they stated in a statement. They maintained that there is no danger to security and that DOGE is only attempting to be transparent about the expenditures of the government.

Meanwhile, several X users and Democrats blasted DOGE over the leak of secret data.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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