A sweeping request by the USDA to gather years’ worth of personal data from millions of SNAP recipients is now on hold — after a federal lawsuit raised the alarm over privacy violations and government overreach.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has paused its directive requiring states to submit sensitive personal data of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. The move comes after a federal lawsuit challenged the legality of the agency’s sweeping request.
In May, the USDA instructed states and their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) processors to provide five years’ worth of detailed information on SNAP applicants and recipients — including names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, and addresses. The agency cited a recent executive order mandating “unfettered access” to data from federally funded state programs.
Privacy advocates and hunger relief organizations pushed back immediately, filing a lawsuit that claimed the USDA’s demand bypassed long-standing privacy protections and failed to follow proper legal procedures.
In a recent court filing, a USDA official confirmed that the agency has not yet begun collecting the data and has issued instructions to all involved parties to hold off until legal questions are resolved.
The pause offers temporary relief to more than 40 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits. Still, questions linger about the future of the data collection effort as the lawsuit moves forward — and as federal agencies navigate the fine line between oversight and overreach.
