When Americans re-elected Donald Trump in 2024 as president, he established a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which was supposed to help cut government spending. The organisation had access to a wide variety of Americans' personal data, including social security details, which raised concerns among critics. Now, a new report claims that their criticism may not have been unfounded.
According to reporting from The Washington Post, the Social Security Administration’s internal watchdog is investigating a whistleblower complaint alleging that a former U.S. DOGE Service employee copied highly sensitive Social Security databases with plans to use the data at a private company.
The complaint centres on two of the government’s most sensitive data systems: Numident and the Master Death File. Together, they hold records for more than 500 million living and deceased Americans, including Social Security numbers, birth records, citizenship details, and family information.
According to the whistleblower disclosure, the former software engineer allegedly told colleagues that he had obtained copies of the databases while working at the agency. At one point, the complaint says, he claimed to have stored at least one of them on a thumb drive and asked for help transferring the data to a personal computer so he could “sanitise” it before using it at his new employer.
The idea behind sanitising the data, according to the complaint, was to remove personal identifiers before uploading it into company systems. A colleague reportedly refused to help, citing legal concerns. The engineer allegedly responded that he expected to receive a presidential pardon if the actions were considered illegal.
Those claims remain unproven. The complaint does not say the data was ever successfully uploaded to the company’s systems. Through a lawyer representing the former employee, they have denied any wrongdoing.
Still, the allegations triggered alarms inside the agency. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General confirmed it is reviewing the disclosure and has informed members of Congress. The watchdog also shared the complaint with the U.S. The Government Accountability Office has been conducting audits on the methods by which DOGE staff accessed government data.
Last year, the Supreme Court of the United States allowed DOGE personnel expanded access to Social Security data as part of the federal government’s cost-cutting review. Critics warned that opening large datasets to outside teams could create new risks if controls were not tightly enforced, potentially leading to data breaches or misuse of sensitive information.
Members of Congress have already reacted sharply. Representative Robert Garcia said the allegations suggest a situation where someone “may have the ability to edit and manipulate data at the Social Security Administration at will,” calling the possibility “dangerous and outrageous.”
Agency officials say internal reviews so far have not confirmed the claims. A spokesperson previously stated that the allegation from the anonymous source had been “found to be false based on evidence and investigations by all involved.” The inspector general’s review will determine whether the claims hold up.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
