Elon Musk has promised transparency in his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project, but the website launched this week has raised concerns over its effectiveness and potential conflicts of interest. The site, which claims to be an “official website of the United States government,” features a glorified feed of posts from Musk’s X platform instead of providing detailed information on cost savings and efficiencies.
A review of the page’s source code reveals that the site promotes X as the main source, with DOGE.gov serving as secondary. This is unusual, as canonical tags typically direct search engines to the authoritative version of a website. The lack of transparency has sparked questions about Musk’s role in running DOGE and whether his conflicts of interest are being addressed.
The site does feature some sections, including “Savings,” which currently displays only a vague promise of receipts coming soon, and “Workforce,” which shows bar charts based on data from the Office of Personnel Management. However, these sections have raised concerns over accuracy and completeness. The site also links to a Forbes article that has been criticized for its disinformation on climate change.
Furthermore, DOGE.gov features a “Join” page that allows prospective employees to apply for roles in software engineering and other technology positions. While the website does not list a developer, a web application security expert identified DOGE employee Kyle Shutt as the site’s developer based on source code.
The lack of transparency and potential conflicts of interest have raised questions about the effectiveness and legitimacy of Musk’s government efficiency project. As the site continues to evolve, it remains unclear whether DOGE will prioritize transparency and accuracy or promote its own interests.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/doge-website-is-just-one-big-x-ad