‘Bypass security, no tracking, no records’: Elon Musk’s DOGE secretly transmitted White House data via Starlink

Elon Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) installed a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal on the White House roof and used it to transmit a large amount of data, all of it undetected, a report by The Washington Post has revealed. The move reportedly took place in Feburary with the approval of Donald Trump’s administration, despite objections from internal security teams.

Starlink, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, provides satellite-based internet access. While the official reason for the installation was to fix internet “dead zones” on the White House campus, insiders suggest there may have been other motives.

Experts say Starlink was used to dodge security protocols

Those close to the matter told The Post that the Starlink connection could have been used to bypass the White House’s highly controlled network systems. “Starlink doesn’t require anything. It allows you to transmit data without any kind of record or tracking,” one source claimed.

White House devices are typically required to use a secure VPN to access the internet, which logs all traffic with names and timestamps. “With a Starlink connection, that means White House devices could leave the network and go out through gateways,” the person added. “It’s going to help you bypass security,” they said.

Secret Service says it wasn’t a breach

The United States Secret Service, however, dismissed the concerns. “We were aware of DOGE’s intentions to improve internet access on the campus and did not consider this matter a security incident or security breach,” said Anthony Guglielmi, the agency’s spokesperson.

Accusations of deeper data breaches emerge

This is not the first time the DOGE team has faced allegations related to data access. Before Elon Musk’s exit from the government and his public fallout with Trump, DOGE was reportedly looking into several sensitive government databases, including systems handling Social Security information.

In April, a whistleblower at the National Labor Relations Board accused Musk’s DOGE department of a “significant cybersecurity breach.” Daniel Berulis, an IT employee, claimed to have observed unusual data transfers and suspicious login attempts from Russia after DOGE gained control of the agency’s systems.

DOGE employees allegedly asked not to be tracked while accessing these systems.

Musk and Trump: From allies to rivals

Trump’s administration had backed Musk during his campaign to cut government budgets and jobs. But the relationship between the two powerful figures has since soured. Their once-close alliance has become a public feud, with both sides trading jabs.

Interestingly, despite the fallout, visitors to the White House can still see “Starlink Guest” listed on their Wi-Fi networks, indicating that the satellite internet system remains operational on the premises.