US Social Security Chief Data Officer Resigns After Data Risk Whistleblower Complaint

Charles Borges, the Social Security Administration's chief data officer, resigned after filing a whistleblower complaint alleging that Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officials mishandled sensitive information of over 300 million Americans by uploading it to an unsecured cloud account. Borges claimed the agency's response to his complaint created a hostile work environment, making it impossible for him to perform his duties ethically and legally, and causing him significant distress. His complaint detailed that the exposed data included Social Security numbers, health diagnoses, income, banking information, familial relationships, and other personal identifiers, raising concerns about potential identity theft and disruption of vital government benefits. The Government Accountability Project is representing Borges, who stated he could no longer work in good conscience at the SSA given what he witnessed. The SSA has declined to comment on Borges' resignation or the allegations but maintains that data remains stored in secure environments. This issue emerged amid heightened scrutiny of DOGE's role in federal agencies, with critics questioning its access to vast personal datasets and privacy risks.