President Trump Orders Closure of Education Department: Implications for Student Data Privacy

April 14, 2025 - 19:39

On March 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14242, mandating the Secretary of Education to take all necessary actions to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education. This unprecedented decision has sent shockwaves through educational institutions and education technology (EdTech) companies that manage vast amounts of student data, including education records.

As schools and EdTech vendors grapple with the implications of this closure, questions arise about the fate of millions of students' education records. The Department of Education has been a key enforcer of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which protects the privacy of student education records. With the department's closure, the enforcement of FERPA comes into question, leaving many to wonder whether this will lead to greater risks or opportunities for those interested in accessing student data.

Educational institutions must now navigate a landscape where data privacy regulations may become less stringent, raising concerns about the potential exploitation of sensitive information. As stakeholders in the education sector assess the fallout from this executive order, the future of student data privacy remains uncertain.