The Social Safety Administration will now not be speaking with the media and the general public by press releases and “pricey colleague” letters, because it shifts its public communication completely to X, sources inform WIRED. The information comes amid main staffing cuts on the company.
“We’re now not planning to problem press releases or these pricey colleague letters to tell the media and public about programmatic and repair adjustments,” mentioned SSA regional commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis in a gathering with managers earlier this week. “As an alternative, the company can be utilizing X to speak to the press and the general public…so it will change into our communication mechanism.”
Beforehand, the company used pricey colleague letters to have interaction with advocacy teams and third-party organizations that assist individuals entry social safety advantages. Latest letters coated every part from the company’s new id verification procedures to updates on the accuracy of SSA loss of life data (“lower than one-third of 1 % are erroneously reported deaths that have to be corrected,” the company wrote, in distinction to what Elon Musk claims).
The letters and press releases had been additionally a vital communications device for SSA staff, who used them to remain up on company information. Since SSA workers can’t join social media on authorities computer systems with out submitting a particular safety request, the change may have adverse penalties on the flexibility for workers to do their jobs.
It may additionally influence individuals receiving social safety advantages who depend on the letters for details about entry advantages. “Do they actually count on senior residents will be part of this platform?” requested one present worker. “Most managers aren’t even on it. How isn’t this a battle of curiosity?” One other staffer added: “This may be sure that the general public doesn’t get the data they should keep updated.”
The Social Safety Administration didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark by WIRED. Linda Kerr-Davis additionally didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark by WIRED.
Elon Musk, who’s main the cost to radically cut back the dimensions of the federal workforce on behalf of President Trump, purchased X (then Twitter) in October 2022. The platform has for years battled the unfold of misinformation. After he bought the corporate, Musk fired contract content material moderators and shifted content material moderation efforts to a crowd-sourced fact-checking device known as Group Notes. In 2023, an EU official warned the platform was a serious supply of faux information, based mostly on a commissioned examine that reported “Twitter has the best discoverability” of disinformation.
The regional workplace workforce will quickly be minimize by roughly 87 %, sources inform WIRED. Regional workplace workers handle IT help, coverage questions, labor relations points, cheap lodging steerage, and public relations. Since February, the SSA has minimize 7,000 jobs, based on the Washington Submit.
Immediately, the company has 547 staff working within the practically dozen regional places of work (beforehand, the quantity was nearer to 700, however many individuals have retired, a present worker with data of the staffing numbers says). After the cuts, the quantity is anticipated to be nearer to 70. “We all know that you simply all depend upon these people to handle your entrance line, to assist with questions,” mentioned Kerr-Davis, who works within the Kansas Metropolis regional workplace. “I’ll be fairly candid right here in sharing that the help can be fairly minimal till we are able to rise up our skinny regional workplace.”
Kerr-Davis acknowledged the restructuring may restrict the company’s potential to fight fraud, a serious aim of Elon Musk’s so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity. “Will not shedding subject material consultants lead on to fraud, waste and abuse?” she requested on the decision, studying a query from an SSA staffer. “And sure, I imply, we do depend on [their] assist…Issues are going to interrupt, and they are going to break quick.”
On the decision, Kerr-Davis sounded resigned as she relayed information of the adjustments. “I do know this in all probability sounds very for international to you, it did to me as nicely,” she mentioned. “It’s not what we’re used to, however we’re in several instances now.”
Vittoria Elliott and David Gilbert contributed reporting.