Some borrowers from student loans on social media claimed that the government efficiency department in Illon Musk has violated the federal students’ privacy laws.
Why do it matter
Musk and the DOGE team are studying the activities of the Ministry of Education, especially since President Donald Trump has indicated that he wanted to close the Federal Agency.
The White House weighs an executive matter that directs the Minister of Education to reduce the administration as much as possible while urging Congress to completely eliminate it. DOGE officials have also started reviewing management records in an attempt to reduce spending.
What do you know
Many Tiktok videos, which bring together hundreds of thousands of likes, urge student loans to submit complaints and follow -up legal procedures accordingly. He claimed that a breach occurred when accessing these records for employees in Dog.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said Newsweek This federal student aid, the body that runs the loans of students, “has not participated in any activities that would display your data through unauthorized or illegal means.”
But Tiktok users said that if the borrower’s information is shared without permission, they can completely tolerate the student’s loan.
One video Posted by Tiktok Paris Lorren user, which collected more than 700,000 likes and 440,000 references, urges borrowers to take action and obtain their loans, until a template letter is provided. The video does not specify from or should be sent.
“Apparently, when Elon and his 20 -year -old trainees were roaming in all social security information, they violated this FerPA law,” A Tiktok user said In a video clip he liked more than 160,000 times.
However, in 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that borrowers have no special right to take legal action under FerPA, even if their information is illegally revealed.
A separate lawsuit, filed by students at the University of California, was filed against the Ministry of Education because of “the continuous, systematic and continuous detection of sensitive personal and financial information” from the department’s records. Democratic lawmakers also raised concerns, as 18 Senate members wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education last week asking him to clarify what he could reach.
Kevin Lamark/Getti
What people say
A spokesman for the Ministry of Education said Newsweek Wednesday: “[Federal Student Aid] He did not participate in any activities that would display your data through unauthorized or illegal means. We are subject to all the laws and standards of the Ministry of Education in the federal government and the United States, including the 1974 privacy law. “
Democratic Senate members in a joint letter to Acting Minister of Education Dennis Carter: “The student loan database in the federal government contains very sensitive information for millions United.
It is not clear at all that Duji officials meet strict standards that would allow them to access this sensitive information protected under federal law – or whether DOGE officials have been able to access other sensitive ED databases as part of their efforts to reform. an agency.”
Jay Flechman, a bankruptcy lawyer, student loans, and debt, said in a video posted on LinkedIn: “The right to prosecute violations and the right to take enforcement measures to Verpa violations separately in the federal government. Therefore, it will be the US Department of Education that will seek to implement FerPa against an individual or party that violates it.
“While reducing the size of the Ministry of Education quickly, on the way to the administration that is trying to close it, there will be no one to enforce your rights.”
What happens after that
It is not exactly clear when the Trump administration can take executive measures on the Ministry of Education.