Recent online chatter has caused confusion among customers as to whether the Social Security Administration (SSA) is entirely shifting its communications to the social media platform X, also known as Twitter. The SSA regional commissioner, Linda Kerr-Davi, also wrote a Wired article that the agency would then stop issuing press releases and official letters and talk to media only by X. However, the SSA itself soon debunked this claim. The rumor was falsely labeled as such by the agency’s verified X account @SocialSecurity, which promised to continue using all available communication channels. Even the White House rejected the claim, and a spokesperson for Kerr-Davis also denied the report. X continues to be used by the SSA in its April 12 press release, but the press release also directs users to White House articles and traditional media channels for updates.
The Role of X in SSA Communication
The SSA is not thrown off traditional methods, but simply expanding its place on X as an addition to other channels. As the article reports, SSA has been using the platform since 2009, when it urged followers to follow us at @SocialSecurity for official updates. Earlier, the agency has even linked to its X presence at the end of recent press releases. But the matter remains largely in the air, especially as another account, @SSAPress, referenced in a March press release, seems to have disappeared. Yet, SSA’s growing dependency on X is not an abandonment of the press release; gone are the days when you can replace it with something else. Nor has it been SSA’s way to shift away from other proper means of communicating information.
New Phone Service Policies in Effect
On April 14, 2025, the SSA changed how the phone services are managed. Among the key updates is that up from now, individuals can no longer make changes to direct deposit details over the phone – they need to do it online or in person. However, initially, the agency also intended to restrict the ability to claim only through in-person or online channels without telephone-based claims. However, this change was reversed due to public backlash. That means that now, all claim types continue to process telephone calls, but are supported by this new advance in anti-fraud technology. The decision by SSA reflects a balancing act between making security better and, at the same time, making access to benefits easier.
Challenges and Technological Upgrades
SSA has continued to face significant operational challenges. As many phone services are still overloaded, many callers must wait a long time before receiving service or being hung up on. In turn, the agency has spent $16.5 million modernizing its phone system. Another way they’re doing that is to allocate staff to take and field more calls or in-person visits, and create AI that can do routine things. The reason for these upgrades is the continuation of the effort to address the delay in processing of benefits. Recent data shows that timely benefits delivery has fallen slightly from an 86 percent start-of-the-year figure to 81 percent, increasing pressure on the time to adapt faster.
Final Takeaway
To put it lightly, the SSA is not making the transition to X solely, but is broadening its digital footprint within a larger communication plan. Tech and public social platforms like X are increasingly in the mix, but standard practice that includes direct public engagement and press releases still remains. As users may be exposed to online misinformation, they should be cautious and take official SSA sources as their source.
