FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 17th, 2025
Contact: Linda Benesch, lbenesc
Elon Musk is Stealing Your Personal Social Security Data
(Washington, DC) — The following is a statement from Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, on reports that Acting Commissioner of Social Security Michelle King left her position after refusing to hand over private Social Security data to billionaire Elon Musk:
“The information collected and securely held by the Social Security Administration is highly sensitive. SSA has data on everyone who has a Social Security number, which is virtually all Americans, everyone who has Medicare, and every low-income American who has applied for Social Security’s means-tested companion program, Supplemental Security Income.
SSA has comprehensive medical records of people who have applied for disability benefits. It has our bank information, our earnings records, the names and ages of our children, and much more.
Older people are disproportionately susceptible to scams. The data at SSA leaking would make the numbers of scams skyrocket. And, if there is an intent to punish perceived enemies, someone could erase your earnings record, making it impossible to collect the Social Security and Medicare benefits you have earned.
There is no way to overstate how serious a breach this is. And my understanding is that it has already occurred.”
###
Social Security Works is a non-profit organization working to improve the economic security of all Americans by fighting to expand Social Security, improve Medicare, and lower the outrageous prices of prescription drugs.