During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) spoke about DOGE's access to sensitive and personal data.
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00:00Recognize Ms. Brown for five minutes.
00:02Thank you, Madam Chair.
00:03I'm glad this committee is finally turning its attention to the federal government's use of artificial intelligence
00:08because under President Trump, AI isn't being used to serve the people.
00:13It's being abused to serve the powerful.
00:16Doge was a reckless, unregulated, and unethical failure.
00:20And I wouldn't be surprised if some of my colleagues on the other side quietly agree
00:25now that Elon Musk is out here trashing their one big, ugly bill.
00:30So let's be clear about how we got here.
00:33Musk and his cronies were handed the keys to our government's data,
00:36let loose to sidestep security safeguards, strip away federal jobs,
00:40and exploit Americans' personal information unchecked and unaccountable.
00:45They used AI as a blunt force tool to slash thousands of federal jobs
00:51and gut billions in government spending with no transparency or regard for the human cost.
00:57But that's not even the most dangerous part.
01:00Doge has launched an unprecedented power grab over Americans' personal data.
01:06Earlier this year, reports surfaced that a Doge staffer with no credentials and no clearance
01:11reportedly accessed Americans' personal information and shared private data with third parties.
01:17I co-led a letter with Reps Trahan and Del Bene demanding an investigation,
01:22and it might not come as a surprise that we're still waiting for answers.
01:26And we now know this wasn't a one-off.
01:30Whistleblowers have revealed that Doge is actively building a master database,
01:34a centralized system combining sensitive data from across federal and state agencies
01:39that includes Americans' medical records, their credit card numbers, their medical claims,
01:44their student debts, and much, much more.
01:48To build it, the administration has turned to Palantir,
01:51the surveillance firm funded and founded by Republican megadonor Peter Thiel.
01:57And this massive trove of personal information is being built with no oversight,
02:03no security guarantees, and no guardrails.
02:06Here's why every American should be alarmed.
02:09In the wrong hands, this database could be weaponized
02:12to target political enemies, suppress dissent, or survey of the public.
02:18And even in the best-case scenario,
02:20a breach could expose millions to identity theft, blackmail, or worse.
02:26What's most disturbing is how much we still don't know.
02:29But what we do know raises serious concerns
02:32about violations of the Privacy Act, FISMA, and e-government act.
02:36This committee must keep investigating
02:39because we cannot allow AI to become a weapon of surveillance
02:44for surveillance, exploitation, and the dismantling of public institutions.
02:50So, Mr. Shire, how should Americans feel
02:54knowing that Doge is pulling together their most sensitive personal data
02:57to train AI without clear safeguards, oversight, or consent,
03:01and what protections are in place to keep that data from being misused or exposed?
03:05Well, we do have a lot of laws in place.
03:08We have laws protecting the data.
03:10We have laws prescribing how it is used, how it is shared,
03:13and that's what's being bypassed.
03:15So, it really is more a matter of enforcing the laws we have on the books
03:20than writing new laws.
03:22I don't think there's – I don't think we have a need to do anything because of AI
03:26because these problems with data sharing, the security risks,
03:30have been with us for decades, and we do have laws, we do have rules,
03:34and they're being bypassed.
03:35So, let me ask you this.
03:36Given Doge's reported practice of bypassing security protocols
03:39and exporting sensitive data to less secure environments,
03:43how serious is the national security risk,
03:46and are we making it easier for foreign adversary hackers
03:49to access government systems and Americans' personal information?
03:52I mean, we are.
03:53We knew from the first weeks that some of the things Doge's was doing
03:56was bypassing security protocols and removing audit trails.
04:00I mean, basically, eliminating the security mechanisms we have in place
04:03to protect the data.
04:05We've had one example of a Russian actor going in after a Doge employee
04:10using their credentials, and that's the one we know about.
04:13I think these countries are not stupid.
04:15They know how to do espionage.
04:17They've been doing it for decades.
04:18And so, I think, as I said in my remarks,
04:21we have to assume that all of this data has been exfiltrated by our enemies.
04:25I would be very concerned.
04:27Now, it depends on who you are.
04:28The more powerful you are, the more concerned you are,
04:30because the more leverage can be leveraged against you.
04:34Let me be clear.
04:35Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies can offer real benefits,
04:40but only when developed responsibly and with clear guardrails
04:44that protect the American people.
04:46So, I stand ready to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle
04:49who are serious about securing our nation's cybersecurity,
04:53safely deploying AI within the federal government,
04:55and ensuring that Americans' data remains safe.
04:59And with that, Madam Chairwoman, I yield back.
05:01Thank you all.