Government Caught Paying for Over 11,000 Unused Adobe Acrobat Licenses, DOGE Uncovers More Waste

Talk about a budget buster. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been flagged for wasting taxpayer money on thousands of unused software licenses, according to a recent audit highlighted by DOGE. And no, we’re not talking about a couple of forgotten subscriptions—this is next-level inefficiency.

DOGE reported that HUD had purchased a staggering 11,020 Adobe Acrobat licenses with exactly zero users. Yes, zero. But that’s just the tip of the software iceberg. The audit also uncovered "35,855 ServiceNow licenses on three products; only using 84," "1,776 Cognos licenses; only using 325," "800 WestLaw Classic licenses; only using 216," and "10,000 Java licenses; only using 400." If you’re doing the math, the waste here is jaw-dropping.

The agency assured taxpayers that fixes are underway, but it’s hard not to wonder how this slipped through in the first place. Elon Musk even chimed in on DOGE’s post, noting that "vast numbers of unused software licenses" are a widespread issue across government agencies. "Your tax dollars are being wasted," Musk bluntly added. Ouch.

And HUD isn’t alone. DOGE has flagged similar inefficiencies in other government sectors, including the General Services Administration (GSA), the Department of Labor, and the Social Security Administration. Highlights from GSA included "37,000 WinZip licenses" for 13,000 employees, "19,000 training software subscriptions," and three separate ticketing systems running simultaneously. It’s almost like they’re collecting software licenses as a hobby.

But here’s where it gets good: after DOGE’s post, the GSA acted fast. Within three hours, they reportedly took steps to cut $5.5 million in IT spending. Days later, DOGE announced even bigger savings, with the GSA deleting 114,163 unused licenses and cutting 15 redundant software products, saving $9.6 million annually. Now that’s what we like to hear.

GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian assured the public that the agency is "taking immediate action to ensure strong stewardship of your tax dollars." Translation: they’re finally cleaning house. Better late than never, right?

In a statement to Fox News, a GSA spokesperson emphasized that the agency is conducting a full review of its contracts and IT resources to align with the administration’s priorities. It’s a promising start, but the real test will be whether these changes stick—or if the government’s software shopping spree continues unchecked.