Whistleblower from the Social Security department exits position, alleging improper handling of sensitive American data related to Doge.
In a bold move, Charles Borges, the Social Security Administration's (SSA) chief data officer, has resigned as a whistleblower, citing serious concerns over the potential risk to more than 300 million Americans' Social Security data.
In a letter addressed to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Borges claimed that the agency's actions since filing the complaint have made his duties "impossible to perform legally and ethically" and have caused him "physical, mental and emotional distress." The letter was posted on the Government Accountability Project's (GAP) website.
Borges, who has served as the SSA's chief data officer since January, alleged that Department of Government Efficiency officials mishandled sensitive information by uploading it to a cloud account not subject to oversight. This action, he believes, put at risk sensitive information such as health diagnoses, income, banking information, familial relationships, and personal biographic data.
If bad actors were to gain access to the cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, potentially losing vital healthcare and food benefits. The government may also be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost.
Borges declined to comment, but his attorney Andrea Meza stated that he no longer felt he could continue to work for the SSA in good conscience, given what he had witnessed. He will continue to work with the proper oversight bodies on the matter.
This story has been corrected to reflect that Borges is being represented in the whistleblower case by the Government Accountability Project, not The Project on Government Accountability Office.
Labor and retiree groups sued the SSA earlier this year for allowing the Department of Government Efficiency access to Americans' sensitive agency data. The allegations made by Borges seem to support these concerns.
A divided appeals panel decided this month that the Department of Government Efficiency could access the information. Borges' disclosure was submitted to the special counsel's office on Tuesday.
Borges' resignation comes at a time when data security and privacy are under intense scrutiny, particularly in the context of government agencies. The SSA has not yet issued a statement regarding Borges' resignation or the allegations he has made.
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