The Social Security Administration (SSA) has imposed restrictions on accessing specific websites from government-furnished equipment, effective March 6, 2025. This move, aimed at enhancing productivity and safeguarding sensitive information, has made several prominent news websites inaccessible to SSA employees. The restrictions encompass categories such as Online shopping, General News, and Sports.
SSA employees, who typically use computers equipped with Microsoft's Edge as their internet browser, found themselves unable to access news platforms including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and MSNBC. Wired.com, once accessible, also fell under the new restrictions. These limitations were communicated to staff via an email from "internal communications," emphasizing the need for employees to concentrate on "mission-critical work and serving the American people."
"Employees should be focused on mission-critical work and serving the American people." – an SSA spokesperson
The SSA's decision to block these sites has sparked curiosity, particularly as the default landing page on the Edge browser is set to display news headlines. Despite these restrictions, workers retained access to alternative news outlets such as Politico and Axios. The email further encouraged employees requiring legitimate business access to submit an exception SAM request for supervisory review.
"Employees with a legitimate business [sic] should submit an exception SAM request for their supervisor's review," – an email
The rationale behind these additional restrictions was outlined in the internal communication, which stated that they aim to mitigate risk and enhance protection of sensitive information across the agency's systems.
"These additional restrictions will help reduce risk and better protect the sensitive information entrusted to us in our many systems." – an email
Interestingly, these restrictions have not been mirrored across other U.S. government agencies' networks, raising questions about the unique measures implemented at the SSA. Moreover, the agency operates with a "URL Reputation" score, although its source and impact on site accessibility remain unclear.
Additionally, the SSA's announcement of plans to reduce its workforce by 7,000 employees follows closely on the heels of DOGE engineers' integration into the agency. This development has added another layer of complexity to the situation. Leland Dudek, SSA's acting commissioner, recently claimed in a LinkedIn post that he faced punitive action from former commissioner Michelle King for assisting DOGE engineers. Michelle King, possessing decades of experience within the SSA, had previously led the agency.
Leave a Reply