Government contractors are lining up to work with DOGE
Sam Sabin
Security contractors are adapting to DOGE's brutal cost-cutting regime — by pitching their tech as essential to its mission.
Why it matters: As federal workforce cuts deepen, DOGE is expected to lean more heavily on third-party security vendors to help dismantle longstanding information silos — despite the national security risks that could come from its quest.
Driving the news: In recent weeks, DOGE has quietly begun laying the groundwork for what privacy advocates long feared was its endgame: building a centralized database containing the personal information of millions of U.S. citizens and residents.
Some reports also suggest DOGE is exploring ways to deploy AI agents to replace federal workers across agencies, fueling further alarm about the national security and privacy implications.
Between the lines: Several companies are now marketing their tools directly to agencies as a way to survive DOGE's cost-cutting demands.
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott said in an earnings call last month that his company is benefiting from the shift. "In this moment, we're one of the rare companies that will grow 30% year over year in the public sector," he said.
Wired reported this month that OpenAI has met with the Food and Drug Administration about a tool to evaluate new drugs. Two DOGE associates were also in attendance, according to the report.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed the meetings to Axios, noting that OpenAI has shown clear interest in working specifically with the FDA in some capacity. However, no contracts have been signed yet.
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https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/cybersecurity-firms-doge-trump-administration
