Federal employees across the United States received an unexpected email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) this week. The message requested that workers submit a weekly list of accomplishments by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday. This unusual request was prompted by Elon Musk, who conducted a survey on the platform X, asking whether federal employees should be required to send an email listing five things they accomplished each week. Over 70% of participants voted in favor, leading Musk to act on the results.
The OPM, a longstanding government agency, introduced new specific email addresses for this purpose. The email contained a warning, stating that failure to comply could lead to "adverse consequences" for employees who attempted to obscure connections between DEI initiatives and government contracts. This development raised concerns among federal workers about privacy and data security, especially given past incidents involving the OPM.
In 2015, a cyberattack on the OPM compromised sensitive data from security clearance background checks for 21.5 million individuals. The breach included Social Security numbers and biometric data from 1.1 million people. Such history has made many employees cautious about sharing personal information via government communication channels.
“Consistent with [President Donald Trump’s] instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week,” – Elon Musk
Social media platforms such as Reddit, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky have seen calls for users to spam these new email addresses with nonsensical content. This mirrors previous instances where public email forms were flooded with irrelevant submissions, rendering them ineffective. In 2020, for example, Dallas police requested videos of illegal activity during protests but instead received fancam videos from fans of Korean superstars like BTS.
Similarly, Missouri's anti-trans "snitch form" was inundated with submissions, causing it to be taken offline. In Texas and Utah, forms related to gender marker changes and anti-trans bathroom complaints faced similar fates due to public backlash and spamming.
The introduction of the new email addresses by the OPM follows a January test when an email blast was sent to all government workers. This test aimed at evaluating whether such channels could effectively communicate with federal employees across various departments.
“Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.” – Elon Musk
The email's contents and addresses have already leaked on social media platforms, raising questions about information security and communication management within federal agencies. The large number of employees involved made leaks almost inevitable.
Amanda Silberling, a senior writer at TechCrunch, has explored the intersection of technology and culture, including internet culture and social media dynamics. Her insights reflect the broader implications of digital communication strategies and their reception by the public.
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