18F is a government digital services organization within GSA that focuses on improving interactions between government and citizens through user-centric solutions. With over 1,200 repositories, they specialize in developing digital tools like analytics reporting systems for government programs.
The U.S. government's digital transformation team 18F was abruptly terminated on March 1, 2025, despite previous praise from leadership as the 'gold standard' of civic tech. Critical government technology projects with NOAA, Department of State, and IRS were halted without transition planning, following similar cuts to the US Digital Service.
GSA has eliminated 18F, a government tech consultancy team of approximately 90 employees, declaring it 'non-critical' under White House-directed workforce reductions. The decision impacts a decade-old office that completed 450 government tech projects, including the IRS Direct File system and ada.gov redesign. The closure aligns with broader Trump administration efforts to reduce federal workforce and consulting functions.
Software engineers are actively removing DEI-related references from federal databases, including the Department of Health and Human Services' Head Start program, through a project called 'Remove-DEI'. The changes affect the ability to search and filter information about programs targeting families affected by systemic discrimination, with contractor Ad Hoc LLC being paid $7.2 million to manage the database modifications.