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Since Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency took over important government technology teams within the General Services Administration (GSA) and what was formally known as the United States Digital Service (USDS), around 200 technologists have either resigned or been fired, jeopardizing about a decade’s worth of work dedicated to everything from public health to passport applications.
The culling of the GSA’s 18F division, in particular, a specialized digital services agency tasked with improving user experience with government services and helping agencies build and buy a variety of technologies, has crippled programs that silently but effectively prepared Americans for weather disasters or streamlined annoying errands, like renewing a passport or filing taxes. Over the weekend, around 90 technologists at 18F were fired via a surprise email that went out shortly before 1 am ET on Saturday.
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“It’s clear that what’s been lost is much bigger than a handful of individual interrupted projects,” says one fired 18F worker, whom WIRED has granted anonymity, along with other sources mentioned in this story, to protect their privacy. “An entire ecosystem of dedicated technologists optimizing for the public and supporting civil servants is being dismantled.”
When the 18F team was disbanded, the group was in the middle of working on a number of projects for agencies across government, including the IRS, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security.
One of the most public-facing 18F-supported services is the IRS’s Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to file their taxes directly to the IRS for free. Direct File is a joint program with the IRS developed by 18F and USDS before the IRS team was able to take it over. This year, the service is available in 25 states. It will remain active, 18F employees tell WIRED, but the reduction in staff could make it harder to expand it to the remaining states.
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