A Social Security whistleblower says hundreds of millions of Americans are at risk after their personal data was recklessly uploaded to a vulnerable cloud server, which one of the most notorious DOGE operatives, “Big Balls,” could access.
Charles Borges, the Social Security Administration’s chief data officer, said DOGE members uploaded a database containing records of all Social Security numbers issued by the federal government, full names, addresses, birth dates and other details that could be used to steal their identities, according to the complaint obtained by the New York Times.
The move “potentially violated multiple federal statutes” protecting sensitive government data, Borges wrote, and could result in a “catastrophic impact” for Social Security beneficiaries and programs if compromised.
“Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment,” Borges warned in the complaint, “Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital health care and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for reissuing every American a new Social Security number at great cost.”
DOGE members copied the data to an internal server that only they could access, a setup which Borges says created “enormous vulnerabilities” without any verified audits or oversight mechanisms.
Despite his role overseeing data at the SSA, Borges said DOGE failed to include him in their project—leaving him to discover the potentially catastrophic ramifications after the fact, the Times reported.
A spokesperson for the SSA pushed back on these claims, writing in a statement to the Daily Beast that they were “not aware” of any privacy breach or compromise and “remain dedicated to protecting sensitive personal data.”
“Commissioner Bisignano and the Social Security Administration take all whistleblower complaints seriously,” the statement reads. “SSA stores all personal data in secure environments that have robust safeguards in place to protect vital information. The data referenced in the complaint is stored in a long-standing environment used by SSA and walled off from the internet. High-level career SSA officials have administrative access to this system with oversight by SSA’s Information Security team.”
Borges complaint was filed amid piling concerns that have led to lawsuits seeking to block young software engineers at the agency once helmed by Elon Musk from having access to confidential government data, the Times reported.
It’s unclear who was behind the alleged compromise, but the Times reported that “Big Balls” Edward Coristine would have been given access to the server.
Coristine did not immediately repsond to request for comment.
Coristine, who joined the agency after resigning from Musk’s team, became an iconic figure in Musk’s chaotic cost-cutting crusade after going by “Big Balls” on social media platforms, including LinkedIn.
The 19-year-old then became a MAGA martyr, inspiring Trump’s hostile D.C. takeover after he was allegedly assaulted by a boy and a girl, both 15, during a carjacking on Aug. 3.
This latest revelation at SSA is part of a growing number of DOGE mishaps with severe consequences. Since Trump returned to office in January, the department once helmed by Elon Musk has canned government contracts, gutted agencies and fired thousands of federal employees, often leaving chaos in its wake.
Now, the administration is reportedly scrambling to rehire many of the officials purged by DOGE’s aggressive cost-cutting, as staffing shortfalls begin to paralyze critical operations.
