Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, leading a coalition of 19 attorneys general, secured a temporary restraining order blocking DOGE and Elon Musk from accessing Treasury Department payment systems containing sensitive personal data. The court found the Trump Administration illegally granted unauthorized access, exposing Americans' bank account details and Social Security numbers. The order mandates destruction of downloaded materials and restricts access to vetted civil servants.
The temporary restraining order prohibits DOGE personnel and other unauthorized individuals from accessing Treasury payment systems and data containing personally identifiable information. Those with prior access must immediately destroy all downloaded materials. Access is limited to civil servants with proper background checks, security clearances, and information security training.
In-house legal teams should review all vendor, data processing, and government contractor agreements for clauses governing data access, confidentiality, and third-party data sharing. Specific attention is needed for provisions allowing access to sensitive government systems or personally identifiable information (PII). Contracts should be amended to explicitly prohibit unauthorized access by political appointees or unvetted personnel, mandate immediate breach notification for any unauthorized data access or exfiltration, and include robust data destruction requirements for any downloaded materials. Teams should also verify that agreements with government entities incorporate compliance with temporary restraining orders or court-mandated data protection protocols.
Entity
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Also known as: DOGE
Industry
Other"'Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'"
"largest data breach in American history"
"unauthorized access to Treasury Department's central payment system, and therefore to Americans' most sensitive personal information, including bank account details and Social Security numbers"
"Connecticut Attorney General William Tong"
"coalition of 19 attorneys general"
"temporary restraining order"
$625K
Connecticut reached a $625,000 settlement with Frontier Communications Parent Inc. over an April 2024 breach in which compromised employee and vendor credentials were used to access internal systems and exfiltrate unencrypted personal information of 58,841 Connecticut residents. The settlement requires Frontier to strengthen its security program, implement specific safeguards and training, and obtain an independent third-party assessment.
$2.6M
Connecticut and New York found that Boston Children’s Health Physicians and its security vendor, XTIUM, failed to use reasonable safeguards, resulting in hackers accessing sensitive personal, medical, and employee information. The companies agreed to pay penalties totaling $2.64 million and implement enhanced cybersecurity measures.
Connecticut joined a coalition of state attorneys general filing a notice in Character Technologies, Inc.’s bankruptcy proceedings, raising concerns about the company’s safety and privacy practices and the sensitive information it holds. The states seek protections for children and consumers if the company’s business or assets are sold or transferred; the filing does not impose a fine or other remedy.
Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Claire Coleman petitioned PURA to review how Connecticut public utilities use artificial intelligence, citing potential data privacy and cybersecurity risks, algorithmic errors, and misleading outputs. The petition asks PURA to examine utility AI systems, safeguards, vendors, and data security practices; it does not report a finding of violation or an imposed penalty.
$2.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with RZ Smoke, Inc. over allegations that it distributed and sold high-potency cannabis products without a state license. The stipulated judgment is $2 million, with $375,000 payable to the State and $1.6 million suspended to ensure compliance; the company is barred from specified cannabis activities in Connecticut unless licensed.
$13.7M
Connecticut joined a coalition of states and the federal government in settling allegations that Takeda paid healthcare providers speaker honoraria and provided meals to induce prescriptions of Trintellix, leading to allegedly false claims to government healthcare programs. Takeda agreed to pay $13,670,921 plus accrued interest, with portions allocated to federal and state programs.