The Brazilian Federal Revenue Service has reported evidence suggesting that a government employee from Serpro, a state-owned data processing company, illegally accessed confidential data regarding Supreme Court ministers and their families. The investigation indicated that this employee, stationed in Rio de Janeiro, provided this sensitive information to unauthorized individuals. The identity of the suspect and the recipients of this data remain undisclosed.

This revelation comes in the context of a broader controversy involving data leaks within state institutions. Specifically, it follows the Master case, which was finalized by the Central Bank last year and has since prompted multiple operations by the Federal Police across various Brazilian states, including Brasília and São Paulo. The existing scrutiny surrounding the Master case may have reignited public and governmental concern regarding data privacy and security within important federal agencies.

Moreover, this particular employee was already under investigation by the IRS's internal affairs and the Federal Police concerning previous allegations of data leaks. The discovery of overlapping investigations involving the same individual led authorities to expedite their operations, which suggests significant systemic vulnerabilities in data protection practices within Brazil's federal institutions. This scenario raises critical questions about the safeguarding of confidential information and the accountability of government employees in managing sensitive data.