Government
A Department of Energy (DOGE) employee Jordan Wick has been publicly sharing sensitive work-related code on GitHub, including a Twitter DM downloader and geospatial data analysis tools for undersea cables and critical minerals.
Government access to personal data through tech giants has dramatically increased, with Meta, Google, and Apple sharing details of 3.16 million accounts over the past decade. The US government made nearly 500,000 data requests to Google and Meta in the last measured 12 months, exceeding all other 14 Eyes Alliance members combined. These companies' business models prevent them from implementing strong privacy protections, as they rely heavily on user tracking for revenue.
DOGE's widespread disruption of federal agencies has resulted in significant staffing cuts, program terminations, and institutional knowledge loss across multiple sectors. The organization's actions have impacted critical areas including cybersecurity, scientific research, social services, and international aid programs. The consequences of these cuts are expected to have long-lasting effects on government operations and public services.
A massive power outage in Chile affected 8 million homes across 14 regions, disrupting transportation, internet, and mobile services. The government declared a state of emergency and implemented a curfew while investigating the cause of the blackout, which stemmed from a disrupted high-voltage transmission line. By Wednesday, 90% of affected areas had power restored, though 220,000 customers remained without electricity.
Federal judges have blocked DOGE from accessing personal data held by multiple US government departments, including Education, OPM, and Treasury. The rulings came after lawsuits filed by various parties, including the American Federation of Teachers and 19 states led by New York, citing Privacy Act violations and potential irreparable harm.
Apple has discontinued its Advanced Data Protection (ADP) encrypted iCloud storage for new UK users and will require existing users to disable it, following UK security services' demands for backdoor access. The decision affects iCloud backups, photos, notes, and voice memos, while certain data types like passwords and health information will remain encrypted by default.
Apple has withdrawn its Advanced Data Protection iCloud feature from the UK after government demands for backdoor access to encrypted user data worldwide. The UK's request came through a technical capability notice under the Investigatory Powers Act, requiring Apple to create a global backdoor for British security officials. Existing ADP users will need to manually disable the feature during a grace period to maintain their iCloud accounts.
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has gained unprecedented 'God mode' access to multiple federal agencies' digital infrastructure, raising serious security and privacy concerns. The organization has already accessed sensitive systems at USAID and NASA, with plans to enter CDC and FAA systems, potentially exposing critical government data and infrastructure. DOGE's unrestricted access could compromise national security, personal data, and classified information across numerous federal agencies.
The National Science Foundation fired 168 employees (10% of workforce) to comply with a presidential executive order aimed at reducing federal workforce. The terminations targeted probationary employees and intermittent experts, impacting program officers who manage research programs and grant evaluations. Staff warn that these cuts will significantly slow down grant reviews and scientific progress.
SpaceX team visits FAA's Air Traffic Control Command Center to help modernize the system amid recent aviation challenges and layoffs. The visit follows a fatal midair collision and comes as hundreds of FAA probationary employees face termination, raising concerns about understaffing and safety.
The USDA accidentally fired several employees working on the H5N1 avian flu outbreak response and is now working to reverse these terminations. The incident is part of broader Trump administration efforts to reduce federal workforce, led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. The situation impacts critical bird flu response efforts amid rising egg prices and 68 confirmed human cases in the US.
Mass firings at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) caused chaos as hundreds of employees were terminated under Trump and Musk's initiative to reduce federal workforce. The agency, responsible for overseeing U.S. nuclear weapons, saw workers abruptly dismissed with minimal notice, though some terminations were later paused or rescinded. The situation has raised concerns about the future stability of this critical nuclear security organization.
Nuclear safety employees laid off by the US government last Thursday are being sought for rehire, but communication challenges are hampering the process. The layoffs were part of President Trump's broader initiative to reduce federal workforce, which has already led to 10,000 terminations and 75,000 voluntary departures.
ICE is seeking private contractors to monitor and analyze social media for negative sentiment and potential threats against the agency and its officials, including tracking individuals' personal information and using facial recognition technology. The surveillance program, worth $5.5 million under a previous contract, raises concerns about privacy and free speech implications, particularly regarding constitutionally protected criticism of ICE.
A vulnerability in doge.gov, Elon Musk's government efficiency tracking website, allows anyone to edit its database and inject content directly onto the live site. The hastily deployed platform, built on Cloudflare Pages, operates outside government servers and lacks basic security measures.
DOGE representative Kyle Schutt has gained unauthorized access to FEMA's financial management systems, potentially to reroute disaster relief funds through deobligation. The situation has led to multiple FEMA employee terminations and raised concerns about access to sensitive personal information of grant recipients and migrants.
The UK government secretly ordered Apple to create a universal backdoor for accessing encrypted user data worldwide, challenging Apple's Advanced Data Protection system. Apple may cease offering encrypted storage in the UK rather than compromise global user security, as the order demands unprecedented access to encrypted content across all countries.
A 19-year-old former cybercrime community member with questionable security credentials gained access to sensitive US government systems through Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team. Several lawsuits have been filed against DOGE's activities, while concerns mount over the team's rapid access to critical government databases without proper security clearance procedures.
UK security officials have ordered Apple to create a backdoor for accessing encrypted cloud backups of all Apple users globally, challenging the company's privacy commitments and potentially setting a significant precedent for digital privacy.
A detailed expose of the Trump Administration's unprecedented actions to disrupt and restructure US scientific funding agencies, including NIH, NSF, and CDC, through funding freezes, communication bans, and policy changes. Recent directives have targeted diversity programs, restricted scientific communications, and caused widespread uncertainty among researchers and staff, leading to potential long-term impacts on American scientific research.