Social Security Chief Data Officer Resigns After Whistleblower Claims 300M Americans' Data Exposed by DOGE

Charles Borges, the Social Security Administration's chief data officer, has resigned involuntarily after filing a whistleblower complaint accusing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) of mishandling sensitive data of over 300 million Americans by copying the entire "Numident" database to a vulnerable cloud server. Borges highlighted serious risks including potential identity theft, violation of federal law, and a toxic, retaliatory work culture that ignored his security concerns. His resignation letter, which disappeared from recipients' inboxes shortly after distribution, further raised concerns of censorship within SSA. The controversy arises amid ongoing scrutiny of the Trump administration's data handling and legal challenges related to DOGE's access to Social Security data, which was temporarily blocked by a federal judge but later reinstated by the Supreme Court. Despite no confirmed data breach, Borges warned of a nationwide fallout affecting healthcare and food benefits for millions. Borges continues to cooperate with oversight bodies to address these security issues.