Mastodawn

https://thedreydossier.substack.com/p/i-found-a-second-votegov-and-its

via @mediapathic who says
"The TLDR for non-tech people here is: every white house website is spying on visitors in a new and exciting way that leaves no auditable trail. Which is also wildly illegal for a .gov.

Oh and for Valley folks: it all goes through PostHog so maybe tell PostHog to fuck off into the sun?"

and quotes from the post:

“Either DOJ lied to a federal judge, or the studio is building a replacement for the country’s voter registration site without telling the agencies whose work it would replace. There is no third option....
Vote.gov belongs to the Election Assistance Commission, and the studio built a copy. Passports belong to the State Department, and the studio is building a replacement this week. Login . gov belonged to GSA, and the studio’s guy runs it now.”

and quotes Jay Edidin saying "so, this is deeply, deeply horrifying"

from https://bsky.app/profile/mediapathic.bsky.social/post/3mmyc55euis26

#cybersecurity #privacy #USpol #18F #USDS #DOGE #spyware #SurveillanceTech

I found a second vote.gov — and it's registered to the White House

There is a moment in every investigation where the thing you have been looking for finds you instead.

The Drey Dossier

Jonathan Kamens 86 47 Apr 21

When I was working at #USDS and had #GEHA health insurance, I used a telehealth service they offered called #MDLive.
It was a dumpster fire, which I've posted about before.
Here's something I haven't posted about: since I stopped using MDLive, they have without explanation sent me several refund checks.
Most recently, yesterday they sent me two $100 checks. With those, they've now refunded every dollar I ever paid them.
I don't know why, I just shake my head and cash the checks.

Jonathan Kamens 86 47 Feb 1

I've been here since the 2022 Great Twitter Exodus, and I've apparently never posted an #introduction, so…
I'm a #GenX techie who's lived in #Boston since the late 80's.
My 15 minutes of fame were being fired by #DOGE from #USDS early in 2025 and sounding the alarm in every media outlet that'd listen since nobody else was doing it. I'm not a fan of limelight, so I stopped when others took up the baton.
My politics are aggressively progressive and antifascist, and I post about them a lot.
(1/2)

C.H. 🌻Jan 28

@hakendran

Haken dran – das Social-Media-Update der c't: Ein Wort-Lüge-Verhältnis von 1:1 (mit Torsten Beeck)

Kapitelmarken, KI-unterstützt 00:00:25 - Nachhak 00:03:27 - #TikTok #USDS JV unter Druck 00:12:42 - Upscrolled und Skylight Social 00:28:08 - #Threads findet #FIFA "gefährlich" 00:31:19 - #WhatsApp wird zum #VLOP 00:36:32 - #Meta pausiert #KI-Avatare für Teenager 00:39:52 - EU leitet zweite #DSA-Untersuchung gegen #X ein 00:51:55 - Social-Media-Verbote für Minderjährige in #UK und #Frankreich 00:57:11 - Funktionen und Emotionen 01:03:52 - Wie kommt der Graue Haken 2025 zu Markus #Söder?

Webseite der Episode: https://hakendran.podigee.io/531-ein-wort-luge-verhaltnis-von-1-1-mit-torsten-beeck

Mediendatei: https://audio.podigee-cdn.net/2327694-m-3a36fab909ac4d017dfe475683bf0719.mp3?source=feed

Ein Wort-Lüge-Verhältnis von 1:1 (mit Torsten Beeck)

Was halten wir vom amerikanischen TikTok? Unklar. Wir wissen nur: Die neuen Betreiber halten uns offenbar für blöd, denn deren Erklärung, wieso bestimmte Videos und Begriffe verschwinden, ist ein angeblicher Stromausfall - in einem Rechenzentrum einer der größten Rechenzentrumsbetreiber der Welt. Ahja. Dass diese Videos ausgerechnet das ICE zum Thema haben und dass DMs mit dem Wort “epstein” ausgerechnet die sind, die nicht weitergeschickt werden können, ist dabei ein eventuell sehr wichtiger Teil der Wahrheit. Apropos Wahrheit: Wir müssen auch über Meta sprechen, über X, über die EU und über Frankreich. ➡️ The Verge über VISA und X: [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867874/stripe-visa-mastercard-amex-csam-grok](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/867874/stripe-visa-mastercard-amex-csam-grok) ➡️ Mit der "Haken Dran"-Community ins Gespräch kommen könnt ihr am besten im Discord: [http://hakendran.org](http://www.hakendran.org⁠) Kapitelmarken, KI-unterstützt 00:00:25 - Nachhak 00:03:27 - TikTok USDS JV unter Druck 00:12:42 - Upscrolled und Skylight Social 00:28:08 - Threads findet FIFA "gefährlich" 00:31:19 - WhatsApp wird zum VLOP 00:36:32 - Meta pausiert KI-Avatare für Teenager 00:39:52 - EU leitet zweite DSA-Untersuchung gegen X ein 00:51:55 - Social-Media-Verbote für Minderjährige in UK und Frankreich 00:57:11 - Funktionen und Emotionen 01:03:52 - Wie kommt der Graue Haken 2025 zu Markus Söder? ℹ️ Hinweis: Dieser Podcast wird von einem Sponsor unterstützt. Alle Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr [hier: https://wonderl.ink/%40heise-podcasts](https://wonderl.ink/%40heise-podcasts)

Haken dran – das Social-Media-Update der c't

Jason Garber Jan 26

Attracting technical talent into state and local government is a good thing, especially after the destruction of #USDS and #18F, but… volunteer? C’mon, #Virginia.

The proposal allocates nearly half a million dollars to go to an advisory board and the cops to collect biometric data on volunteers. 🤦🏻‍♂️

https://virginiamercury.com/2026/01/26/virginia-to-consider-joining-states-creating-volunteer-cyber-civilian-corps/

Virginia to consider joining states creating volunteer cyber civilian corps • Virginia Mercury

A proposal to create a volunteer cybersecurity incident response team, investigating and troubleshooting threats targeting digital systems around the commonwealth, will be considered again in this year’s General Assembly session.

Virginia Mercury

Benjamin Carr, Ph.D. 👨🏻‍💻🧬Jan 20

Former #USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What #DOGE Broke
The plan, which is still in its early stages, is spearheaded by former USDS administrator #MikeyDickerson.
Called #TechViaduct its goal is to create complete reboot how #US delivers services to citizens. Viaduct cadre of experienced federal tech officials is in process of cooking up specifics on how to remake government, aiming to produce initial recommendations by the spring.
https://www.wired.com/story/former-usds-leaders-launch-tech-reform-project-doge/
https://archive.ph/aUptk

Former USDS Leaders Launch Tech Reform Project to Fix What DOGE Broke

The plan, which is still in its early stages, is spearheaded by former USDS administrator Mikey Dickerson.

WIRED

Ecologia Digital Dec 24

"The value of tech expertise in #government is real. That’s why #USDS and #18F existed and succeeded for over a decade.
This isn’t that…They gutted the #institutionalknowledge, fired the people who knew how to do this right, and replaced it with a system where people from private companies get guaranteed access to government data and decision-making through employees who are explicitly planning to return to those same companies." @mmasnick.bsky.social
https://www.techdirt.com/2025/12/23/trump-admin-reinvents-us-digital-services-program-after-elon-musk-fired-all-their-actual-tech-experts/

Trump Admin Reinvents US Digital Services Program After Elon Musk Fired All Their Actual Tech Experts

Here’s a fun game the Trump administration keeps playing: destroy a successful government program, wait a few months, then breathlessly announce you’ve “invented” the exact …

Techdirt

Techdirt [Unofficial]Dec 23

Trump Admin Reinvents US Digital Services Program After Elon Musk Fired All Their Actual Tech Experts

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.techdirt.com/2025/12/23/trump-admin-reinvents-us-digital-services-program-after-elon-musk-fired-all-their-actual-tech-experts/

Trump Admin Reinvents US Digital Services Program After Elon Musk Fired All Their Actual Tech Experts

Here’s a fun game the Trump administration keeps playing: destroy a successful government program, wait a few months, then breathlessly announce you’ve “invented” the exact …

Techdirt

Benjamin Carr, Ph.D. 👨🏻‍💻🧬Dec 16

#US government launches 'Tech Force' to replace #IT staff #DOGE fired
Washington rediscovers that modern IT doesn’t run itself
https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/15/us_government_tech_force/

If ONLY we had something like a US Digital Service... we could call it #USDS and they could help modernize IT across #FederalGovernment.... why has NO ONE thought of this?!?!? </s>

US gov't launches 'Tech Force' to replace IT staff DOGE fired

: Washington rediscovers that modern IT doesn’t run itself

The Register

Show thread

Jonathan Kamens 86 47 Nov 3, 2025

Also, some #MSPB actions currently in process are frozen. For example, the #USDS employees illegally fired on February 14 reached a settlement with the government immediately before the shutdown, and that settlement has a specific timeline for payout, but the clock is frozen until the shutdown ends.
That's small potatoes for me since I found a new job pretty quickly, but a big deal for my colleagues who didn't or who may even be still unemployed nine months later.
2/2
#politics #USPol #shutdown