- On the 18f of the General Services of the US Government was dissolved
- The Ministry of Elon Musk’s government efficiency seems to be the cause of the cuts
- 18F was a group of software and supply that helped a range of government agencies
A technological unit of the General Services Administration (GSA) has had its almost eliminated budget, affecting around 70 software and strategists, as well as researchers, service designers and public procurement specialists.
The cuts were organized by the Elon Musk government efficiency department (DOGE) and are part of an ongoing campaign to reduce public spending.
Founded in 2014, the unit, 18F, developed main IT services accessible to the public, such as Login.gov – The central connection system for services such as Medicaid, Social Security and Maladie. 18F was also responsible for helping government agencies to buy and build technology, improve user experience and make services accessible, and the unit has collaborated with many departments, so that the effects of cuts will be felt in all areas.
A hammer approach
The ministry had already been labeled as a “computer office on the far left of the government” by a supporter of Musk, to whom the director of Facto Doge replied “this group was abolished”.
“All the support of 18F on this work has now stopped suddenly,” the group said in a statement.
“Since all the staff was also put on administrative leave, we have been locked up with our computers and have no chance of helping an ordered transition in our work. We do not even have access to our personal job data. We are supposed to return our equipment, but we cannot use our email to find out how or where. »»
They are not the first federal workers to be dismissed, with more than 110,000 federal employees leaving their posts since Trump took office, although around 77,000 of them have accepted the deferred resignation program of the administration.
“The dismantling 18F follows the evisation of the original American digital service. These cuts are only the most recent of a series of a hammer approach to critical American teams supporting the IT infrastructure. »»
DOGE was also recently struck by a wave of prosecution following complaints concerning the ministry which violated the privacy of millions of Americans by accessing “extraordinarily sensitive” details on federal workers and anyone who has ever applied for federal employment.
