• Whistleblower alleges DOGE uploaded over 300 million Social Security records to an unsecured cloud.
• Data includes sensitive information such as Social Security numbers and health details.
• Concerns raised over potential identity theft and loss of essential benefits for Americans.
• The SSA insists data remains secure and is not aware of any compromise.
• Legal challenges mounted against DOGE's practices following the whistleblower's complaints.

A whistleblower report has raised alarms about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allegedly uploading a copy of all federal Social Security numbers and sensitive information to an unsecured cloud server. Charles Borges, the chief data officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA), claims this act has created "enormous vulnerabilities" for over 300 million Americans, risking widespread identity theft and loss of vital healthcare and benefits, according to The Hill and HuffPost.

The whistleblower complaint highlights that this sensitive information, which includes names, birthdates, citizenship status, and Social Security numbers, was transferred to a cloud environment that lacks the proper security oversight and tracking mechanisms that typically safeguard such data. Borges pointed out that the move potentially violates laws and poses severe risks, suggesting that the government might need to reissue new Social Security numbers at great cost if the security of this data is compromised, as reported by ABC News and NPR.

Borges and his legal representatives have filed this complaint through the Government Accountability Project, urging congressional oversight on the matter. The data's relocation to what they describe as a "vulnerable cloud environment" underDOGE is seen as part of a disturbing pattern of security negligence, affecting nearly every American, claims Newsweek. Various internal assessments and warnings have been ignored in the process, indicating significant risks were known before the data was uploaded.

The SSA has responded assertively, stating that it takes whistleblower complaints very seriously and asserting that the data in question is stored securely and remains "walled off from the internet." An SSA spokesperson reiterated that high-level career officials have administrative access and oversight to ensure the data's protection, as mentioned in reports by India Times and The Hill.

Legally, the situation has incited challenges against DOGE's activities following a Supreme Court ruling that previously allowed DOGE temporary access to sensitive department data, despite growing outcry and legal contention from labor unions and privacy advocates, as noted in ABC News and HuffPost.