Social Security bans news access on government equipment

Employees at the Social Security Administration can no longer access news websites on government equipment, they were told in an agencywide email on Thursday morning. 

“SSA is implementing additional restrictions to the categories of websites prohibited from government-furnished equipment,” reads the email, obtained by Nextgov/FCW. “General news” is listed as being limited alongside access to online shopping and sports. 

So far, it’s unclear what news sites are still accessible on SSA equipment, according to one SSA employee, although some — including CNN and Fox News — are already blocked. Employees with "legitimate business" can request exceptions from their supervisor, per the email.

The news site blocks fall on an agency that has itself been at the center of much news in recent days, with a slew of senior agency leaders departing in the midst of plans for a massive downsizing. SSA is currently under the acting leadership of Leland Dudek, who until recently was a mid-level employee working in the agency’s anti-fraud office.

SSA’s ban on news sites follows several changes in how the White House approaches the media.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has disrupted long-standing practices of who covers the president by deciding for itself what outlets have access to the “pool” that covers the White House. The administration has also sought to halt government subscriptions to news outlets like Politico after elevating false claims about news outlets receiving money from the U.S. Agency for International Development, and also barred the Associated Press from accessing presidential events. 

"Social Security employees should be focused on mission-critical work and serving the American people. Therefore, we implemented additional restrictions to the categories of websites prohibited from government-furnished equipment, including online shopping, general news, and sports," an SSA spokesperson told Nextgov/FCW.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include details about exception requests to the policy and a statement from SSA.