A quiet regulatory update by the Social Security Administration (SSA) could spark fresh concerns about the government’s increasing use of surveillance tools to monitor ordinary Americans.
In early January, the SSA updated its Evidence of Foreign Travel – Foreign Travel Data Application to increase scrutiny of foreign travel by Americans receiving benefits. This change allows the agency to use travel data collected by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Must Read
-
Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and 3 simple steps to fix it ASAP
-
Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don’t have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here’s how
-
I’m approaching retirement with no savings. Should I panic? Here are 6 easy ways to catch up (and fast)
The update impacts millions of Social Security beneficiaries, as well as people receiving support from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program (1).
In other words, Americans who receive retirement benefits or support based on needs, life circumstances or disabilities could be impacted by this tightened surveillance. And it arrives at a time when the government’s data handling practices are under increased scrutiny.
If you’re uneasy about the government’s ability to monitor individual activity, this update deserves a closer look.
What does this change mean?
The recent changes impact numerous beneficiaries under the SSA’s purview. As of December 2025, the SSA paid benefits to roughly 75 million people, of whom about 11 million were under the age of 65 and collecting disability benefits, and nearly 5 million collecting SSI only (2).
Under long-standing rules, SSI and Social Security recipients must self-report foreign travel that lasts 30 days or more. If you are a citizen, you may still be able to collect Social Security while residing abroad, but SSI is strictly limited to residents of the U.S. and certain U.S. territories (3).
The SSA’s revised rules update this reporting requirement to lean less on self-reporting and more on data collected by the DHS. The agency argues this move is about compliance and part of an effort to “curb improper payments” (1).
However, the change could reflect a broader shift toward automated monitoring of benefit recipients, with limited transparency around how travel data is collected, stored, and shared across agencies.
This comes at a time when government surveillance and data handling are increasingly scrutinized.
Read More: The average net worth of Americans is a surprising $620,654. But it almost means nothing. Here’s the number that counts (and how to make it skyrocket)
Why data privacy concerns are growing
The agency’s changes come at a time when there’s growing unease about the government’s data handling and surveillance operations.
Recently disclosed court filings from the Justice Department revealed that two members of a team affiliated with Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” initiative early last year were working inside SSA while secretly communicating with a political advocacy group. That group was seeking to overturn election results in certain states, Politico reports. One individual reportedly signed an agreement that may have involved using Social Security data to help match state voter rolls (4).
And, as Wired reported back in May, the Trump administration has been allowing the SSA, and other agencies, to share sensitive personal data with DHS for months. The data is to be used for targeting immigrants for visa enforcement or even deportation. The federal government recently made that data sharing official through a public notice (5).
Analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), a progressive American think tank, suggests that agreement to share Social-Security data with immigration enforcement could give the agency access to sensitive data about more than 500 million people who have ever applied for a Social Security number. Some of this data could be outdated and riddled with errors, according to the CBPP, which expands the risk that some voters may be disenfranchised before the midterm elections in November 2026 (6).
To be clear, this latest DHS travel-tracking update — which is about surveilling Social Security recipients, not immigrants specifically — is separate from that, as far as we know. But all these incidents, taken together, lend weight to fears that sensitive SSA data could be misused, accessed improperly, or repurposed beyond its original intent.
Simply put, workers and retirees are being increasingly monitored by error-prone automated systems. If you’re uneasy about these developments, there are ways to protect yourself.
How you can protect yourself
If you receive Social Security and are traveling outside the country for an extended period or expect a change in your situation that may impact your benefits, make sure you document and report this carefully to avoid any errors. Many different changes in circumstances, such as your earnings, employment status, or medical conditions, are all reportable to the SSA and can affect your benefits (7).
Second, review your SSA records regularly. Errors can and do happen, and automated systems are not immune to them. Regularly checking your Social Security information helps you discover these discrepancies and resolve them before they impact your benefits or, it it comes to that, voting rights.
For some Americans, the new SSA rule and data sharing policy blurs the line between eligibility enforcement and personal surveillance.
You May Also Like
-
A whopping 41% of Americans making $300K to $500K still live paycheck to paycheck. Here are Suze Orman’s 6 practical tips to leave that stressful trap behind
-
Robert Kiyosaki says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year — and he begs investors not to miss its ‘explosion’
-
What’s your worth? Here are the 3 net worth milestones that change everything for Americans (and what they say about you)
-
This $1B private real estate fund is now accessible to non-millionaires. Here’s how you can get started with as little as $10
Join 200,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
Social Security Administration (1); Social Security Administration (2); Social Security Administration (3); Politico (4); Wired (5); Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (6); Social Security Administration (7)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
