Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Jason Wilson

‘It’s dangerous and it’s going to erode trust’: redesign of US government websites stokes surveillance fears

A man stands in front of a backdrop that reads 'TrumpRx.gov'
Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb and the chief design officer of the National Design Studio, at the unveiling of the TrumpRx drug discount site on 5 February 2026. Photograph: Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

An opaque White House office staffed largely by veterans of Elon Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) has quietly rebuilt some of the federal government’s most sensitive websites – for passport applications, voter registration, prescription-drug pricing and children’s savings – in ways critics say appear to violate federal law.

The National Design Studio (NDS) was established by a Donald Trump executive order last August, and is led by Trump-aligned Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia and staffed by Doge veterans.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.