Jonathan Kamens: A Technologist's Warning

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Published May 6, 2026

Cybersecurity expert Jonathan Kamens, a longtime technologist with a background in software engineering and digital security, was dismissed from his role at the Department of Veterans Affairs by Elon Musk’s Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE). Kamens, who had joined the U.S. Digital Service to serve the public, criticized DOGE for pursuing three main goals: profiting Musk and his allies through government contract manipulation; dismantling the federal government to remove constraints on elite power; and centralizing Americans’ personal data to support authoritarian control. In a revealing conversation on the Plutopia News Network podcast, Kamens discussed his career roots in digital activism, his work on early internet FAQ archives, and his dismay at the dismantling of functional government institutions. He warned of growing threats to democracy, including loyalty vetting for government hires, data misuse, and Project 2025’s goals, while holding out faint hope that economic backlash from Trump’s tariffs could galvanize public resistance.