The Elon Musk-led “‘Department’ of Government Efficiency” (“DOGE”) has gained access to several sets of sensitive data about Americans’ finances. “DOGE,” which has led a campaign to eliminate of thousands of jobs and contracts at federal agencies, ended critical contracts that support the technology infrastructure of the Social Security Administration — with the result that computer systems at the agency, according to employees who spoke with reporters, “seem to be crashing, every day, leading to more delays in serving beneficiaries.”
The “DOGE” team has also moved aggressively to gain visibility into privileged information about American households. Among the data that Musk’s team now has the power to see: Social Security Administration data showing people’s tax payments and benefits, and Department of Health and Human Services files about families that make and receive child support payments.
Breaking WaPo:HHS has granted DOGE access to a sensitive child support database with troves of income data — overriding the objections of career employees.The database contains substantial amounts of personal income data linked to nearly all U.S. workers.www.washingtonpost.com/business/202…
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2025-03-08T19:25:15.760Z
- HHS grants DOGE access to child support database, overriding objections [The Washington Post]
🚨A senior Social Security official is, "seriously concerned that SSA programs will continue to function and operate without disruption.”That's because an unelected billionaire who thinks Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme" is digging around your private data and firing staff.
— Senator Patty Murray (@murray.senate.gov) 2025-03-10T21:02:03.591Z
- Former Social Security official describes hostile takeover by Musk team [The Washington Post]
One of the many revelations in this piece is that routine tech crashes are ALREADY happening on Social Security Administration computers after DOGE canceled various tech contracts. www.propublica.org/article/reco…
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm.bsky.social) 2025-03-12T15:40:14.805Z