The tech world is being shaken by a major data scandal in the US. The Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) is accused of uploading the personal data of millions of citizens to a compromised cloud server. This compromised the sensitive information of more than 450 million Americans.

DOGE faces a personal data scandal

According to leaked information, DOGE moved the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Numerical Identification System database to Amazon’s cloud server in June. This database contains critical information such as applicants’ names, places of birth, citizenship status, and family members’ Social Security numbers.

The scandal was sparked by a whistleblower from the SSA’s chief data officer, Charles Borges. Borges accused senior officials at the agency of moving data to an unregulated cloud environment despite warnings. The whistleblower complaint alleges that the DOGE team, a group comprised of former Elon Musk employees, copied data and that independent security controls on this server were inadequate.

Borges argues that this violates both internal security policies and federal privacy laws. He also warns that granting the DOGE team administrative authority over the cloud could lead to the data being made publicly available.

If this happens, it emphasizes that millions of Americans’ sensitive data, such as their health, income, banking information, and family ties, could be exposed. In a worst-case scenario, the Social Security numbers of 450 million Americans could need to be reissued.

DOGE, which took office in January, has been the target of criticism for gaining broad authority over the data of many federal departments. White House spokeswoman Elizabeth Huston declined to comment on the whistleblower complaint, while SSA spokesperson Nick Perrine claimed the data was securely protected. These contradictory statements highlight the seriousness of the scandal.