(NewsNation) — Millions of Social Security recipients’ personal information is at risk after federal efficiency officials created an unsecured copy of the nation’s Social Security database in a cloud environment, a whistleblower alleged Tuesday.
Charles Borges, chief data officer at the Social Security Administration, filed a protected disclosure with the Office of Special Counsel warning that Department of Government Efficiency officials employed by SSA “circumvented oversight protocols” to access sensitive data on more than 300 million Americans.
The allegations suggest DOGE personnel authorized themselves to create a live copy of SSA’s entire database without independent security measures, potentially exposing Americans to widespread identity theft.
Borges began serving as SSA’s chief data officer in January, responsible for protecting public data safety and security. His disclosure details multiple instances of wrongdoing from March through July 2025, including circumvention of a court restraining order that temporarily blocked DOGE’s data access.
“Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits,” the Government Accountability Project stated in submitting the whistleblower complaint.
The vulnerable database copy includes information from SSA’s Numerical Identification System, which contains all data submitted in Social Security card applications, including names, birthdates, citizenship status and other personal details.
DOGE sought access to Social Security data beginning in January 2025, purportedly to address fraud claims. A lawsuit challenging the access resulted in a temporary restraining order from March 20 through June 6, 2025.
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said the agency “takes all whistleblower complaints seriously” and maintains that personal data is stored “in secure environments that have robust safeguards in place.”
An appeals court ruled earlier this month that DOGE could access sensitive federal data, overturning an earlier temporary injunction.
NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.
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Author: Damita Menezes
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