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Why it matters: Many users, including staffers at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), likely consider magnetic tape storage severely outdated. Despite being around for several decades, the technology still enjoys widespread use, is still evolving, and retains certain advantages over optical and solid-state media.
DOGE recently announced that it has replaced 14,000 magnetic storage tapes used by the US General Services Administration (USGSA) with unspecified “modern” digital formats. The move, which the department says will save $1 million per year, drew sharp criticism from experts who defended the ancient but still useful technology.
The announcement presumably referred to magnetic Linear Tape-Open (LTO) drives and cartridges, a storage medium invented in 1952. Although consumer devices have long since transitioned to hard disk and solid-state drives, which are far faster, businesses still regularly use LTO. IBM plans to continue using the format for decades.
The @USGSA IT team just saved $1M per year by converting 14,000 magnetic tapes (70 yr old technology for information storage) to permanent modern digital records.
– Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) April 4, 2025
Companies and government agencies like the USGSA employ magnetic tapes for long-term storage and hybrid cloud solutions for several reasons. Firstly, they store massive amounts of data very cheaply. LTO tapes only held a few megabytes 70 years ago, but IBM continues to develop the technology, introducing a drive in 2023 that holds up to 150TB per cartridge.
Additionally, LTO is more secure than conventional solutions that are regularly connected to the internet. Tapes are kept offline except during backup and recovery, which shields them against cyberattacks.
LTO sales reached record levels in 2022, 70 years after the format’s introduction, in response to a surge in ransomware incidents. Although maintaining offline backups won’t stop cybercriminals from stealing or publicizing data, and recovery is time-consuming, they blunt the threat of encryption or deletion. Critics worry that the data DOGE converted from LTO could become more vulnerable.
Magnetic tapes also last longer than other digital formats. While some DVDs from less than 20 years ago are starting to suffer from disc rot, LTO can last 30 years if properly maintained, according to Corodata. Additionally, the tapes use less energy than conventional drives, making them attractive for clients aiming for sustainability.
DOGE, established by Elon Musk following President Trump’s inauguration to cut government spending, has faced harsh criticism for hastily laying off thousands of employees and gutting agencies. The department has also drawn concern by tasking its extremely young members with handling sensitive government data, including 19-year-old Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, who was previously connected to a cybercrime gang.
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Becki Latson