A new report from Senate Democrats claims members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team have access to the Social Security Numbers of all Americans in a cloud server lacking verified security measures, despite an internal assessment of potential “catastrophic” risk. The report, released by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), cites numerous disclosures from whistleblowers, including one who said a worst-case scenario could involve having to re-issue SSNs to everyone in the country.
As outlined in the report, DOGE staffers moved a live copy of Americans’ personal information to a cloud server despite an internal risk assessment done by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that determined the impact could be “catastrophic” without the proper safeguards. The report notes that this information is considered “production data,” potentially allowing DOGE to “directly manipulate” it.
In addition to SSNs, the database reportedly includes Americans’ place and date of birth, work permit status, and parents’ names. The potential security threats range from data breaches by foreign adversaries, like Russia, China, and Iran, to DOGE staffers themselves, including Edward “Big Balls” Coristine, who had unfettered access to the information and had reportedly been fired from a previous internship for leaking sensitive data.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs released the report, which also raises concerns over DOGE’s activity at the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management.
Meanwhile, SSA officials, who typically ensure the security of the agency’s cloud infrastructure, haven’t been able to monitor DOGE’s work. Staff members conducting the oversight of DOGE found that it operated with a high level of secrecy, with armed guards controlling “access to work and living spaces,” while rooms remained locked and office windows “appeared to have been hastily covered with black trash bags and tape,” according to the report. Whistleblower interviews paint a picture of workspaces bearing “stacks” of laptops and offices being converted into private bedrooms, including one containing a queen bed, a wardrobe, and a big screen TV.
Senate Democrats are calling on the Trump administration to shut down DOGE’s cloud environment, as well as to revoke DOGE’s access to personal information until agencies can certify that they’re following privacy laws. They also recommend releasing all information about the data DOGE staffers had access to.
“DOGE is jeopardizing Americans’ most sensitive data, while its employees operate under a layer of secrecy that shields them from meaningful oversight and accountability,” the report states. “This environment results in serious cybersecurity vulnerabilities, privacy violations, and risk of corruption that could open Americans’ most sensitive information to targeting by malicious actors… or serve to benefit DOGE employees and the private companies with which many maintain strong ties.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
