What we know about claims Social Security Administration is moving all public communications to X
In April 2025, conflicting reports about changes in how the Social Security Administration communicates with the public spread confusion online. Per news reports, an SSA regional commissioner allegedly told employees it would be moving all communications to the social media platform X, including news releases and letters to employees. X is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, the public face of the Department of Government Efficiency, which was tasked by U.S. President Donald Trump with implementing cost-cutting measures in the federal government.
Snopes readers asked whether it was true that all SSA communications would be moving to X. The subject was also discussed on X itself, where user posted: "Social Security Administration will be using X to communicate … All Americans ARE NOT on X and I'm not ok with my tax dollars being used this way!!!"
The claim appeared to be based on news reports from Apr. 11, 2025. According to unnamed sources in a Wired report, Kansas City's SSA regional commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis told managers in a meeting:
We are no longer planning to issue press releases or those dear colleague letters to inform the media and public about programmatic and service changes. […] Instead, the agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public […] so this will become our communication mechanism.
The Federal News Network, a Washington, D.C., news organization that covers federal agencies, reported on the same call Kerr-Davis had with SSA employees. Per its report, she said: "If you're used to getting press releases and Dear Colleague letters, you might want to subscribe to the official SSA X account, so you can stay up to date with agency news. […] I know this probably sounds very foreign to you — it did to me as well — and not what we are used to, but we are in different times now."
As both reports relied on unnamed sources, Snopes was unable to independently authenticate these statements attributed to Kerr-Davis. We reached out to the SSA, Kerr-Davis and the White House to learn more.
The White House denied the reports. White House spokesperson Liz Hutton said in an email: "The Social Security Administration is actively communicating with beneficiaries and stakeholders through any and all mediums. President Trump will continue to always protect Social Security."
The White House's communications team also posted on X in response to the Wired report: "This is absolutely false. Pure Fake News garbage from Wired."
The SSA denied the rumors in a post on X as well, stating: "This is false. Social Security will continue to communicate through any and all mediums."
The news reports referred to two different tools of communication: news releases and "Dear Colleague" letters. The SSA uses "Dear Colleague" letters to engage with third-party groups and organizations that help people access their Social Security benefits. The SSA describes the letters as "an opportunity to share information, ask for your help, and invite you to join us for various meetings and forums." The SSA posts these letters on its website.
Currently, news releases and "Dear Colleague" letters are key communication tools for SSA employees and third-party organizations. The SSA account on X has only around 150,000 followers as of this writing, compared with the almost 72 million people who receive benefits from SSA programs. Unnamed SSA employees told Wired that by moving such communications over to X, vulnerable people who rely on their benefits would not get up-to-date information.
As it stands, the SSA and White House have denied the reports about communications being moved to X. We have not observed major changes in the SSA's communication methods (the last news release was posted on the SSA website on Apr. 12, 2025, as of this writing). We will update this article should the situation change.
"Advocates." SSA. https://www.ssa.gov/news/advocates/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
"Social Security Kansas City Region Home Page." SSA, https://www.ssa.gov/kc/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
"Fast Facts & Figures About Social Security, 2024." Social Security Administration Research, Statistics, and Policy Analysis, https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/2024/fast_facts24.html. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Heckman, Jory. SSA Shifts to X Posts for Official Messaging after Cuts to Communications Staff. 11 Apr. 2025, https://federalnewsnetwork.com/agency-oversight/2025/04/ssa-shifts-to-x-posts-for-official-messaging-after-cuts-to-communications-staff/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Ibrahim, Nur. "Many Social Security Recipients Will Have to Confirm Identity in Person to Receive Benefits." Snopes, 26 Mar. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/benefits-social-security-identity/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Press Release | Press Office. SSA. https://www.ssa.gov/news/press/releases/2025/#2025-04-12. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Rein, Lisa, and Hannah Natanson. "Social Security Abandons DOGE-Led Phone Service Cuts amid Chaos, Backlash." The Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/09/social-security-phone-doge-cuts/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Rein, Lisa. "Social Security Faces Thousands More Job Cuts Even with Service in Tailspin." The Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2025, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/04/04/social-security-layoffs-trump-musk/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Schiffer, Zoë. "The Social Security Administration Is Gutting Regional Staff and Shifting All Public Communications to X." Wired. www.wired.com, https://www.wired.com/story/social-security-administration-regional-office-elon-musk-x/. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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