‘It’s dangerous and it’s going to erode trust’: redesign of US government websites stokes surveillance fears
Summary
A White House office called the National Design Studio (NDS), created by President Trump’s executive order, has rebuilt several sensitive U.S. government websites for passports, voter registration, prescription drugs, and children’s savings. Critics say these sites use tracking software that may break federal privacy laws and are controlled directly by the White House, raising concerns about transparency and data privacy.Key Facts
- The National Design Studio was established in August by an executive order from President Trump.
- It is led by Joe Gebbia, Airbnb co-founder, and staffed mainly by veterans from Elon Musk’s "department of government efficiency" known as Doge.
- NDS developed or rebuilt sensitive government websites: passport applications, voter registration, prescription drug pricing, and children’s savings accounts.
- These websites used commercial tracking software that could bypass common privacy protections used by internet users.
- None of the NDS’s spending or vendor information appears in the official federal spending database, raising questions about funding and oversight.
- The NDS runs White House-controlled versions of websites that legally belong to other agencies, such as a passport portal and vote.gov voter-registration site.
- The sites route sensitive government services through the White House infrastructure, which is not subject to usual federal reporting and accountability rules.
- After being contacted, the NDS removed some tracking software; the White House states the studio complies with all legal requirements.
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