A vast number of Social Security records regarding more than 300 million Americans could be in jeopardy. This alarming news comes from a whistleblower complaint lodged with the counsel’s office, pointing fingers at officials from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for having uploaded sensitive information to a cloud service without proper government supervision.
Charles Borges, who assumed the role of chief data officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in January, is the whistleblower behind this serious revelation. He has indicated that the data at risk includes crucial items like health diagnoses, income, banking details, and family connections, essentially compromising personal security.
Why This Is a Big Deal
This complaint follows ongoing scrutiny of President Donald Trump’s DOGE, which was created with the ambition of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse by utilizing extensive agency data access. The Government Accountability Project is behind the complaint, emphasizing serious potential risks stemming from DOGE’s operations.
What You Need to Know
Earlier this year, labor and retiree organizations filed a lawsuit against the SSA due to the agency’s collaboration with DOGE. Despite pushback, a divided appeals panel recently confirmed that DOGE can continue to access this information.
In response to the whistleblower’s claims, SSA insists that the data remains under strict protection with so-called “robust safeguards” in place and oversight from experienced officials.
Borges asserts that uploading the sensitive data was an overstepping of authority and might even breach the law. His lawyer, Andrea Meza, stresses that Borges is raising these concerns out of a profound sense of responsibility to the public.
Public Reactions
According to Borges’ complaint, “If any malicious parties get access to this cloud setup, there’s a serious risk that countless Americans will face identity theft, potentially losing crucial healthcare and food support. This could force the government to reissue Social Security Numbers for everyone at a staggering expense.”
In an official statement, SSA noted, “All personal data is stored in secure systems with top-notch protective measures. The information highlighted in this complaint is kept in a longstanding secure environment and is isolated from the internet. Only a select group of high-level SSA officials have access, monitored closely by our Information Security team. So far, we can confirm there’s been no breach, and we prioritize safeguarding sensitive personal data.”
Lee Dudek, the acting commissioner for Social Security, shared in a press release on April 22: “President Trump vowed to defend the rights of Americans to the Social Security benefits they’ve earned. In the past, the SSA got sidetracked with unnecessary DEI and gender ideology agendas while its employees worked remotely—leading to excessive wait times for service, and unimaginable delays in benefit decisions. By bringing back National Social Security Month, we are putting our focus back on serving the People by assisting all Americans in accessing their benefits, whether they come into the office, call us, or go online.”
Looking Ahead
The complaint has been sent to congressional oversight bodies, prompting a call for lawmakers to take the needed oversight measures.
This piece includes coverage from the Associated Press.
Update: 8/26/25, 7:41 p.m. ET: This article has been revised with the latest information and comments.
