DOGE says government paying for 11,020 Adobe Acrobat licenses with zero users, plus more 'idle' accounts
Audits reveal thousands of licenses paid for but not used at federal agencies, generating millions in savings by reducing unnecessary spending.

Elon Musk speaks as US President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk’s efforts to optimize public spending in the United States, has put the spotlight on a recurring problem: The waste of money on software licenses that government agencies pay for but don't use.
Recent audits at departments such as the Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the General Services Administration (GSA), the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have revealed alarming numbers of inactive licenses, leading to immediate steps to cut costs and save taxpayers millions of dollars.
The HUD case is one of the most prominent. According to a DOGE post on X, an initial audit found that the department was paying for "11,020 Adobe Acrobat licenses with zero users," in addition to other significant examples of waste.
The findings detailed "35,855 ServiceNow licenses across three products, of which only 84 are used," "1,776 Cognos licenses, with only 325 in use," "800 WestLaw Classic licenses, using only 216," and "10,000 Java licenses, of which only 400 are active." "All are being fixed," DOGE assured in the same message, promising quick solutions to this waste.
HUD completed the same audit. Initial findings on paid software licenses:
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) March 6, 2025
- 35,855 ServiceNow licenses on three products; only using 84
- 11,020 Acrobat licenses with zero users
- 1,776 Cognos licenses; only using 325
- 800 WestLaw Classic licenses; only using 216
- 10,000 Java… https://t.co/xnY8TkLmM3
Elon Musk, the key head of DOGE, did not hesitate to point out the magnitude of the problem.
"There are vast numbers of unused software licenses in every part of the government. Your tax dollars are being wasted," he wrote on X in commenting on DOGE's HUD release.
There are vast numbers of unused software licenses in every part of the government.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2025
Your tax dollars are being wasted. https://t.co/A25njAt4J4
His message reinforces a position Musk has consistently maintained: the need to eliminate wasteful spending in the federal government.
The problem is not limited to HUD
DOGE has identified similar patterns at other agencies. For example, at GSA, which has 13,000 employees, a post on X highlighted that the agency paid for "37,000 WinZip licenses," "19,000 training software subscriptions," and "7,500 project management software seats for a division with only 5,500 employees." In addition, "three different ticketing systems running in parallel" were detected, evidencing costly redundancies. "Solutions are actively being worked on," DOGE stated at the time.
Agencies often have more software licenses than employees, and the licenses are often idle (i.e. paid for, but not installed on any computer). For example, at GSA, with 13,000 employees, there are:
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 24, 2025
- 37,000 WinZip licenses
- 19,000 training software subscriptions (and multiple…
The response from the GSA was immediate. Stephen Ehikian, the agency's acting and deputy administrator, wrote on X: "Hope we didn't make you wait too long... within 3 hours of @DOGE post, @USGSA is taking immediate action to reduce $5.5M of IT spend & working to identify additional reductions across all categories—ensuring strong stewardship of your tax dollars."
Hope we didn't make you wait too long... within 3 hours of @DOGE post, @USGSA is taking immediate action to reduce $5.5M of IT spend & working to identify additional reductions across all categories—ensuring strong stewardship of your tax dollars https://t.co/ApzEpyJ2h5
— Stephen Ehikian (@USGSAStephenE) February 25, 2025
Days later, DOGE reported that GSA had made significant progress, eliminating "114,163 unused software licenses and 15 underutilized or redundant software products," achieving an annual savings of $9.6 million.
Since this post, @USGSA took immediate action to reduce IT spend by deleting 114,163 unused software licenses & 15 underutilized / redundant software products — for a total annual savings of $9.6M. https://t.co/xnY8TkLmM3
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 28, 2025
A GSA spokesperson explained to Fox News Digital that these actions are in response to a broader effort, "In support of the administration’s priorities, efficiency and good stewardship, GSA is currently undertaking a review of its contracts and resources, including IT resources, to ensure our staff can perform their mission in support of American taxpayers. GSA has taken immediate action to fully implement all current executive orders and is committed to taking swift action to implement any new executive orders."
Other departments have also been singled out
At the SBA, with about 8,000 employees and contractors, DOGE found that there were "10 software products with more than 10,000 licenses," including "17,580 unused ServiceNow licenses costing more than $2 million annually."
The Small Business Admin. completed the same software audit. Initial findings:
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) March 3, 2025
-10 software products with 10,000+ licenses. SBA has ~8,000 employees/contractors
- 17,580 unused ServiceNow licenses costing over $2 million annually
- Second year in a row spending $1.2 million on… https://t.co/xnY8TkKOWv
Meanwhile, at SSA, it identified "4 redundant survey tools with costs between $118,000 and $1.8 million per year," plus "10,000 UI Path licenses, of which only 5,011 are in use," and "20,600 Tableau licenses, with only 11,560 in use."
The Social Security Admin. completed the same software audit. Initial findings:
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 25, 2025
-4 redundant survey tools, ranging from $118K-$1.8M/year
-Paying for 10,000 UI Path licenses; only using 5,011
-Paying for 20,600 Tableau licenses; only using 11,560
Fixes in work. https://t.co/xnY8TkKOWv
The DOGE GSA X account reacted quickly to these revelations, tweeting "Not for long..." alongside a scissors emoji, suggesting impending cuts. This proactive approach has been a constant in DOGE's communications, combining public exposure of waste with promises of immediate action.
Not for long…✂️
— DOGE GSA (@DOGE_GSA) February 24, 2025
We will report back with progress shortly! https://t.co/4wn0Jsy8Ld