An ongoing federal lawsuit has been initiated against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the agency he supervises. The lawsuit, filed by over a hundred current and former federal employees, accuses the agency and Musk of accessing highly sensitive employee records without proper authorization or vetting.

The legal action was launched in the Southern District of New York by 104 employees and several unions that represent government workers. They are urging the central HR agency of the government, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to deny access to DOGE and its representatives.

The lawsuit alleges that DOGE and its representatives, many of whom are under the age of 25 and previously or currently employed by Musk’s private businesses, were granted ‘administrative’ access to OPM computer systems without standard, thorough national security vetting.

The legal proceedings name Elon Musk, DOGE, the OPM, and the current OPM director, Charles Ezell, as defendants. It claims that DOGE’s acquisition of OPM records violated the Privacy Act, which prohibits unauthorized access to personal data, even amongst federal agencies.

The Privacy Act prohibits OPM from transferring access to its vast personnel records to DOGE, which allegedly lacks a legal and legitimate need for such data, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit argues that DOGE’s access to these records is not covered by any exception to the Privacy Act.

The lawsuit further states that DOGE representatives were not government employees when they were granted access to OPM computer networks. It specifically mentions a 19-year-old DOGE employee, Edward Coristine, who was allegedly dismissed from a cybersecurity firm following an internal investigation into data leaks during his tenure.

The lawsuit suggests that DOGE’s access to federal worker data could lead to damaging professional ramifications for these workers, as Musk and former President Trump have threatened to dismiss employees perceived as unfaithful. The release of their financial information could also put the workers at risk of hacking by criminals and foreign entities.

The lawsuit emerges amidst escalating controversy surrounding DOGE’s access to sensitive government data. The agency is in the process of implementing extensive layoffs and other reforms across the federal government.

The lawsuit’s primary goal is to secure an injunction to halt this access. However, it represents just the ‘first phase’ before a class-action lawsuit, according to Victoria Noble, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

As of now, DOGE, OPM, and Elon Musk’s representatives have not responded to requests for comments.