Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is pursuing access to the IRS’s Integrated Data Retrieval System, which contains sensitive taxpayer information. Privacy advocates and lawmakers, including Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren, express alarm, fearing potential violations of privacy laws and misuse of data. Concerns have escalated regarding disruptions to tax refunds for millions of Americans during the current filing season. The White House defends DOGE’s initiative to identify fraud, but bipartisan pushback intensifies amid a lawsuit challenging the legality of DOGE's data access. The IRS faces staffing cuts as tax season progresses.