Social Security Chief Resigns Amid Musk's Data Access Controversy

Michelle King, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), resigned after refusing to allow access to sensitive data by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). King's departure follows a pattern of high-ranking officials leaving their positions rather than comply with DOGE's data access requests, which have raised privacy concerns regarding the personal information of over 71 million Americans. Leland Dudek, a DOGE supporter, has been appointed as the new acting commissioner, with Frank Bisignano nominated to take over permanently. The Trump administration claims these efforts are aimed at reducing fraud, despite backlash and skepticism regarding the necessity of accessing such sensitive information. Musk has made controversial claims about fraudulent payments, suggesting that the SSA's database contains records of individuals supposedly 150 years old, a misunderstanding of how the data coding system works. The situation reflects ongoing tensions between Musk's initiatives and established federal oversight practices.