- Social Security Administration (SSA) Chief Data Officer Charles Borges filed a protected disclosure on Aug. 26, 2025, alleging that Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel created a cloud copy of SSA’s core data.
- The complaint says the move risks exposing sensitive information for more than 300 million people; it does not claim a confirmed breach.
- SSA says it is not aware of any compromise and that personal data remains stored in a long-standing environment walled off from the internet.
The Big Picture
In a whistleblower disclosure dated Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, SSA Chief Data Officer Charles Borges alleges that DOGE staff working at the agency copied the SSA’s most sensitive records into a cloud environment without independent oversight, creating a substantial risk to Americans’ personal information. The filing was sent to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and key congressional committees for review.
What’s New
According to national reporting that reviewed the disclosure, Borges says DOGE personnel bypassed safeguards and moved a complete copy of SSA’s critical dataset—containing identity details collected in the Social Security application process—into a cloud system within the agency’s infrastructure. The document warns that the worst-case scenario could require reissuing Social Security numbers if misuse or unauthorized access occurred.
Internal communications cited in coverage indicate the transfer occurred in late June after courts allowed DOGE’s access to continue during ongoing litigation. Reporting also notes that the copy was placed in the agency’s Amazon Web Services environment and that the move was formally authorized by SSA’s chief information officer at the time.
SSA, in a statement carried by multiple outlets, said it stores personal data in secure environments with robust safeguards and that the data referenced in the complaint is in a long-standing system separated from the public internet. The agency said it is not aware of any compromise.
What They’re Saying
Context
DOGE was established earlier this year to root out waste, fraud and abuse across federal programs and sought broad access to agency data. A court temporarily restricted DOGE’s access to some SSA systems in March; in June, access continued during litigation pending further review. The disclosure asserts that, amid these disputes, a cloud copy of SSA data was created and that routine security approvals and oversight were insufficient for the sensitivity of the information.
The data at issue includes information submitted when people apply for a Social Security number, such as name, date and place of birth, citizenship, contact details and family identifiers. The complaint does not allege that the cloud system was hacked; rather, it argues the configuration and oversight gaps created unacceptable risk.
What’s Next
The Office of Special Counsel typically does not confirm or deny specific filings but can refer matters and require agency responses. Congressional committees that received the disclosure are expected to examine the allegations and could seek testimony, documents, and technical briefings on how the data was handled.
The Bottom Line
The dispute centers on a simple question with enormous consequences: whether a cloud copy of the nation’s most sensitive identity dataset was authorized and secured to federal standards—or whether it introduced avoidable risk for tens of millions of Americans.
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