Musk-led DOGE hosting hackathon for easier access to taxpayer data
What's the story
Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the US is gearing up to hold a hackathon next week.
The event will be focused on creating a "mega API" intended to provide access to taxpayer data, WIRED reported.
The effort is being led by two DOGE staffers at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Gavin Kliger and Sam Corcos. The latter is also the CEO of healthtech start-up Levels.
Project details
API to streamline access to taxpayer data
Corcos has been vocal about his ambition to create "one new API to rule them all."
The project would simplify the process for cloud providers to access IRS data such as taxpayer names, addresses, social security numbers, tax returns, and employment information.
The information could then be exported into external systems.
WIRED also reported a third-party vendor would handle parts of the project with Palantir frequently mentioned as a potential candidate.
Security issues
Concerns over data security raised
Speaking to WIRED, an anonymous IRS worker raised concerns over the project, calling it "an open door controlled by Musk for all Americans's most sensitive information with none of the rules that normally secure that data."
This highlights the risks that can come with such an all-encompassing API.
The hackathon and its implications have already generated a lot of buzz in the tech community.