New Doge storm for Trump: Whistleblower claims social security data of millions of Americans put at risk

A whistleblower has alleged that one of the most sensitive databases in the United States, containing the Social Security records of hundreds of millions of citizens was improperly moved to a private cloud server under the watch of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), raising fears of a massive data breach.

The complaint, filed by the chief data officer of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Charles Borges, claiming that DOGE uploaded a copy of the Numerical Identification System (NUMIDENT) database in June. This archive includes every social security number ever issued along with full names, addresses and birth dates, making it a potential gold mine for identity theft. Nearly 550 million such numbers have been issued to date.

Borges warned that the actions of DOGE officials “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.”

At the centre of the allegations is SSA Chief Information Officer Aram Moghaddassi, a close ally of Elon Musk. Borges accuses him of sidestepping agency policies to “create a live copy of the country’s social security information in a cloud environment that circumvents oversight,” in violation of multiple federal statutes.

The whistleblower stressed the severity of the risk: “Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital health care and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for reissuing every American a new Social Security number at great cost.”

He also said he had been excluded from key discussions despite his official role, forcing him to reconstruct what had taken place after the fact.

The complaint further read that DOGE staffers were given “improper and excessive access” to sensitive databases as early as March. Although a federal judge temporarily blocked them from tapping SSA data, the Supreme Court overturned that ruling in June, clearing the way for the transfer to a DOGE-controlled cloud system “without any independent security or oversight mechanisms in place.”

Responding to the claims, SSA spokesman Nick Perrine reported by The New York Times as saying that the agency was committed to protecting Americans’ personal information. “S.S.A. stores all personal data in secure environments that have robust safeguards in place to protect vital information,” he said.

“The data referenced in the complaint is stored in a longstanding environment used by S.S.A. and walled off from the internet. High-level career S.S.A. officials have administrative access to this system with oversight by S.S.A.’s information security team.” He added that the agency was “not aware of any compromise to this environment” and remained “dedicated to protecting sensitive personal data.”

If confirmed, the allegations could trigger one of the most significant security crises in US history, forcing the government to reckon with the safety of social security data that underpins much of American life.