Collection of personal data on food stamps recipients on hold

The U.S. Department Of Agriculture says it’s suspending a demand for personal data about people who get federal food assistance.

Last month, the USDA told states they’d be required to turn over names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and addresses of everyone who applied for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, over the last five years. The guidance cited a presidential executive order that calls for data-sharing to find fraud, waste and abuse and came as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has been amassing data for purposes that include immigration enforcement.

A coalition sued the USDA in federal court, saying the data demand did not comply with federal privacy laws.

In a recent court filing, a USDA official said the agency has not yet collected SNAP data and will not until all necessary legal requirements are met.

Видео Collection of personal data on food stamps recipients on hold канала NPR