The Trump administration has fired a team of tech-savvy civil servants who helped build the Internal Revenue Service’s free tax-filing service and revamped government websites. The Digital Service Team, known as 18F, was terminated due to being deemed “non-critical.” The move comes amid concerns over the department’s plans for using personal data, including tax records, to verify federal benefits payments.
The team, which was launched in 2014 under former President Barack Obama, aimed to improve digital services across government agencies. However, billionaire Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, has expressed interest in utilizing personal tax records to detect fraud. The news raises concerns about the collection and use of sensitive data by the Trump administration.
In a surprising twist, 18F employees were notified that their jobs had been terminated with no explanation provided. Around 90 team members were locked out of their devices following the announcement. Despite this, the IRS’s free direct-file tax website remains operational. The Department of Homeland Security has also asked for home addresses of approximately 700,000 undocumented immigrants being targeted for deportation, which the IRS has so far refused to disclose.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/musks-doge-fires-federal-tech-team-that-built-free-tax-filing-site-2025-03-01