Social Security Chief Data Officer Charles Borges has resigned following a whistleblower report revealing policy violations in the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) decision to upload sensitive data to a “vulnerable cloud environment.” Borges cited several incidents that may constitute violations of federal statutes or regulations, potential safety and security of high-value data assets in the cloud, unauthorized access to agency enterprise data storage solutions, and unauthorized data exchange with other agencies. He also noted that newly installed leadership in IT and executive offices created a culture of panic and dread, with minimal information sharing, frequent discussions on employee termination, and general organizational dysfunction. Borges claimed that executives and employees are afraid to raise concerns for fear of retribution or termination, and his requests for information tied to questionable activities have been “rebuffed or ignored by agency leadership.” The SSA did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment regarding the matter. In recent months, citizens and Democrats have condemned DOGE’s efforts to collect personal data for undisclosed reasons, with lawmakers arguing that individuals hired by the newly formed agency were not approved to access sensitive information without security clearance.
Social Security’s chief data officer has resigned due to a “culture of panic and dread.” SacDepSpa 822
