Disruptions within the United States government persisted today as a group of tech specialists announced their departures. These federal workers were formerly part of the United States Digital Service, a technology-driven agency established during the Obama administration. Earlier this year, around 40 members of the original Digital Service team were let go by the group, called DOGE, which is led by Elon Musk, while the remaining 65 were absorbed into his organization. This afternoon, 21 individuals from that group chose to resign.
“We refuse to employ our technological expertise to undermine essential government systems, threaten the privacy of Americans’ sensitive information, or dismantle vital public services,” the departing employees stated in a resignation letter acquired by the Associated Press. “We will not contribute our skills to facilitate or validate the actions of DOGE.”
Anne Marshall, the director of the Digital Services, also stepped down from her role last week, noting in a public letter that “This does not align with the mission I intended to pursue.”
Both Marshall and the members of today’s collective resignation expressed concerns regarding the qualifications and commitment of individuals from Musk’s team to uphold the mission of Digital Services, which aims to create and sustain digital resources for the American populace.