Doge Coin Hackathon: Building an IRS Data API?

DOGE Hackathon Aims to Create Mega API for Taxpayer Data

According to a report by Wired, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is scheduling a hackathon next week.

The central objective of this event is the development of a comprehensive “mega API.”

This API is intended to grant access to a wide range of taxpayer data currently held by the government.

Hackathon Organized by DOGE Staffers

Wired indicates that the hackathon’s organization is being led by two individuals employed by DOGE at the Internal Revenue Service.

These organizers are Gavin Kliger and Sam Corcos, who concurrently serves as the CEO of the healthtech company Levels.

Corcos has reportedly communicated to colleagues within DOGE his ambition to establish “one new API to rule them all.”

Potential Data Exposure and Third-Party Involvement

The proposed API would streamline access to IRS data for cloud providers.

This includes sensitive information such as taxpayer names, addresses, Social Security numbers, tax returns, and employment details.

Such data could potentially be exported to systems outside of the IRS.

Wired reports that a third-party vendor is expected to handle certain aspects of the project, with Palantir frequently mentioned as a potential candidate.

Concerns Regarding Data Security

An anonymous IRS employee reportedly expressed significant concerns to Wired regarding the project’s security implications.

The employee characterized the initiative as “basically an open door controlled by Musk for all Americans’ most sensitive information with none of the rules that normally secure that data.”

This suggests a potential weakening of existing safeguards protecting taxpayer information.