The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X

[highplainsdem]

Source: Wired

The Social Security Administration will no longer be communicating with the media and the public through press releases and “dear colleague” letters, as it shifts its public communication exclusively to X, sources tell WIRED. The news comes amid major staffing cuts at the agency.

“We are no longer planning to issue press releases or those dear colleague letters to inform the media and public about programmatic and service changes,” said SSA regional commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis in a meeting with managers earlier this week. “Instead, the agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public … so this will become our communication mechanism.”

-snip-

The letters and press releases were also a crucial communications tool for SSA employees, who used them to stay up on agency news. Since SSA staff cannot sign up for social media on government computers without submitting a special security request, the change could have negative consequences on the ability for employees to do their jobs.

It could also impact people receiving social security benefits who rely on the letters for information about access benefits. “Do they really expect senior citizens will join this platform?” asked one current employee. “Most managers aren’t even on it. How isn’t this a conflict of interest?” Another staffer added: “This will ensure that the public does not get the information they need to stay up-to-date.”

-snip-



Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/social-security-administration-regional-office-elon-musk-x/

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This has to be reversed. You can't even read tweets from any X account in the proper chronological order, newest first, unless you have an X account and are logged in. (If you're not logged in, the tweets are completely scrambled chronologically. Musk did this to force people using X to log in.) This is NOT like checking a normal public website.

[IzzaNuDay]

1. Time to raise HELL

Whatever it takes to reverse this mess.

[gab13by13]

7. No, the time to raise hell was back when the Timid 10

passed the CR. I was told passing the Cr would protect Social Security. Musk changed the code and has complete computer control instead of people control. WTF could go wrong.

Guess I will have to up my investment disbursements.

[IzzaNuDay]

8. i get that sooner than later was the best place.

Though I remain optimistic that raising hell is certainly appropriate today.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Corruption. . . nt

[highplainsdem]

4. Safe bet Musk's ultimate aim, once he can make X into the "everything app" he's said he wants it to be,

is to distribute Social Security payments into bank accounts on X.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. Mucus is addicted to government cash. Wants to be THE government AI. Could anything go wrong with that?

[Klarkashton]

3. A shameless grab by musk.

This is tragic.

[EarthAbides]

6. Propaganda at it's finest

This is how they will eliminate the phone system and of course break social security faster. Russia does not have social security, so they are not trying to privatize social security....

[Nigrum Cattus]

9. Screw Musk and ALL repugs & ex too

[Lovie777]

10. I don't see how this is legal...................

[vapor2]

15. Do they care about legality?

[Magoo48]

16. Legality isn't a relevant any longer. There is no agency willing to enforce...

[DENVERPOPS]

11. This precisely the result when you

put a couple of monkeys (Trump and Musk) in an un-locked room with a basket full of hand grenades....

[TimeToGo]

12. Illegal,

[eppur_se_muova]

13. So, we're picking "winners and losers" now, overriding the preferences of the gloriously unfettered Free Market ?

I'm old enough to remember when this was total anathema to "conservatives" -- that is, I remember the previous administration.

Of course, that was headed by a Democrat, so no comparison, really.

[slightlv]

14. I absolutely will NOT be a member of "X"

I'm not going to knowingly and willingly give of my money to musk in the form of advertising or anything else available on that platform. I am ideologically opposed to it. Any medium that allows and even encourages hate speech should be outlawed, IMO, but that runs afoul of the 1st amendment. So, the only thing I can do is not partake of it.

Anyway, jeez! Talk about a conflict of interest!! But the courts said that musk was smart enough to know when something was a conflict of interest and would take appropriate action. I think this announcement redlines that pollyanna statement. Besides, when we first began creating websites for the general population, we always knew to build for the "least" of us. X is definitely not usable for the least of us... let alone the target audience! The target audience, for the most part, is not tech savvy. This is every bit as much of a problem as closing our local SSA offices and making us hunt out and drive to other cities for an in person audience. This can not be legal, on so many different levels!

[yellow dahlia]

17. I am going to work this into my sign for next Tuesday's protest.

[mahina]

18. Every so often I ask my networks, why is it that we can't get CDC announcements again?

Now I know why. Well, at least they're consistent. They want to monetize every single thing so that it cost more and they make money so we will find a way to get the information that we need went out, becoming fertilizer for their garden of hatred.

[turbinetree]

19. Time for a lawsuit.............X is a unsecured site..................

[LudwigPastorius]

20. What was the Il Duce quote about the "merger of state and corporate power"?

[cstanleytech]

21. Most definitely a conflict and maybe criminal and if Musk is relying on a pardon it might not work.

Since if it's still the case after Trump's out of office it's a continuation of a crime which might render the pardon moot.

[Figarosmom]

22. Is this even legal?

[ToxMarz]

23. And Musk genuinely wants to turn X into a payment/banking app too

So i imagine he wants to make that pivot by sending all social security benefits through X and own a too big too fail government mandated banking system (that will no doubt end up needing a huge bailout). The IRS will no doubt then be added.

[2naSalit]

24. Fuck that shit...

I see a massive legal action for that.

[mdbl]

25. Never use X so I guess I'll miss everything.

[returnee]

26. I can't tell anymore...,

Are we moving from the insane to the absurd or from the absurd to the insane?

[gab13by13]

27. Here is a scary take on what Musk is doing,

Summary, some Social Security checks will not go out because of the enormous cuts; 7,000 SSA employees, regional offices, 87% of staff from the SSA communications office.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/retirement/trump-s-latest-change-to-social-security-going-to-end-in-checks-not-going-out-advocate/ar-AA1CMfDb?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=bacbbd716ba741a6a749e0fd557da8e3&ei=38

[SheltieLover]

28. Kick

[lark]

29. How is this not deeply expanding eloons reach and $$ and hurting almost every senior citizen.

What about seniors who don't have computers or who have spotty service? This is an insane give away to the loony fascist and deprivation for almost every single American citizen. I have never been on Twitter - do I have to join to see what the annual increase/decrease is - how stupid and greedy and mean can one person be? The orange assface definitely sets the std. for treachery. along with his fascist mini=me.

[IronLionZion]

30. Anyone who doesn't use X will miss the information and be declared dead

Because social media apps are the best way to reach elderly social security recipients. Everyone knows that.

[JI7]

31. Next they will require signing up on X and paying a fee for it

to recieve benefits .

[FakeNoose]

32. If it's on Xwitter, most of us will never see it

This sucks even worse for the SSA employees. I believe Musk can be taken to court over this move.