Congress Demands Answers on SSA Data: Is Your Social Security Info Being Used to Train AI or Deny Benefits?

This resolution is Congress hitting the pause button and demanding a full data dump from the President within 14 days. Specifically, they want every document, email, and log related to how the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) most sensitive database—the Numerical Identification System (NUMIDENT)—is being copied and moved to a new cloud system, and how the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is accessing it. This isn't about updating software; it’s about who has access to the comprehensive personal information of nearly every American and what they plan to do with it. This is a pure oversight move, but the questions being asked reveal some serious concerns about what might already be happening behind the scenes.

The Cloud Copy Conundrum: Who Gets the Keys to Your Data?

NUMIDENT holds the birth, death, and name change records linked to every Social Security number ever issued. It’s the gold standard for personal identity data in the US. The resolution is laser-focused on the creation of a copy of this database in the cloud. Congress is demanding to know why this copy exists and, more importantly, if it’s being used to block or deny Social Security or Medicare benefits, create a central government database mixing personal information from various agencies, or even sell the information to private buyers. For the average person, this is the core concern: Is the government building a massive, all-encompassing data profile that could be used against you when you need benefits, or worse, sold off to the highest bidder? The resolution is also asking if the data is being used to train or improve artificial intelligence systems, which raises questions about potential algorithmic bias in benefit decisions.

The DOGE Access List: Personal Names and PII

Congress isn't just asking about systems; they're asking about specific people. The resolution names several individuals—Edward Coristine, Aram Moghaddassi, John Solly, and Michael Russo—all associated with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and demands records detailing their access to the cloud copy of NUMIDENT. Furthermore, they want access logs for the SSA’s broader Enterprise Data Warehouse starting March 14, 2025, specifically targeting access by DOGE personnel like Payton Rehling and Aram Moghaddassi. Naming names like this shows Congress is tracking specific individuals within DOGE who may have been granted access to highly sensitive PII. For anyone relying on SSA or Medicare benefits, this points to a potential overreach by an external agency into the data that determines their eligibility and livelihood.

Why This Matters for Your Wallet and Privacy

If the answers to Congress’s questions are “yes”—meaning the SSA’s most critical identity data is being used to train AI, consolidated into a massive central database, or potentially sold—it signifies a severe breakdown in data protection. The SSA’s data is meant to ensure you get the benefits you’ve earned, not to be leveraged for audits, AI development, or profit. This resolution is a necessary piece of oversight, putting pressure on the Executive Branch to reveal if highly sensitive PII is being misused. While the resolution itself doesn't change policy, it forces transparency on activities that, if confirmed, could fundamentally undermine public trust and put every American's identity information at risk.