Elon Musk's DOGE compromised critical Social Security data, whistleblower claims

A whistleblower has raised alarms about the security of sensitive Social Security Administration data, alleging that the federal government efficiency unit led by Elon Musk uploaded the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to a cloud server deemed high-risk by internal assessments.

In a complaint first reported by the New York Times Tuesday, Charles Borges, chief data officer at the Social Security Administration, claimed that staff from the Department of Government Efficiency – known as DOGE – created a live copy of the agency’s Numident database, which contains Social Security numbers, names, addresses, birth dates, and other personal details for nearly every citizen and resident of the US.

According to Borges, this data was transferred to a cloud environment accessible only to DOGE officials, without the independent oversight or security monitoring typically required for such sensitive information .

Borges’ complaint, filed with the help of the Government Accountability Project, does not allege that the database was actually breached, but warns that the move created “enormous vulnerabilities.” The Social Security Administration had previously assessed the project as “high risk” with the potential for “catastrophic impact” if the cloud server were compromised .

“These actions constitute violations of laws, rules, and regulations, abuse of authority, gross mismanagement, and creation of a substantial and specific threat to public health and safety,” the complaint states, as cited by The Guardian.

The Social Security Administration has denied that any sensitive data has been compromised.

“SSA stores all personal data in secure environments that have robust safeguards in place to protect vital information. The data referenced in the complaint is stored in a longstanding environment used by SSA and walled off from the internet,” a spokesperson told The Guardian Tuesday. “We are not aware of any compromise to this environment and remain dedicated to protecting sensitive personal data” .

The Government Accountability Project, which is providing legal counsel to Borges, has called for lawmakers to act quickly to ensure oversight and protection of public data.

Andrea Meza, the group’s director of advocacy and strategy, said the decision to place a live copy of Americans’ Social Security data in a cloud environment “puts everyone with a social security number and their families at real risk of identity theft, interrupted benefits, and tax or medical fraud that can follow them for years.”

DOGE’s access to Social Security information has been the subject of multiple lawsuits, with critics raising concerns about the unit’s lack of transparency and disregard for established security protocols.

The Supreme Court recently allowed DOGE continued access to SSA data while legal challenges proceed, and the agency’s actions have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers, ethics groups, and federal employees .

The whistleblower complaint comes amid broader controversy over DOGE’s role in federal agencies. Former DOGE head Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that widespread fraud exists within the Social Security system. However, internal audits have found that improper payments account for less than one percent of total benefits paid in recent years.