
For student loan borrowers, the latest social media rumor sounds alluring: that the Elon Musk-led dismantling of the Department of Education and ensuing breaches of private data could cancel the debt they owe.
Creators argue that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, passed in 1974 to protect the private of students’ educational records, gives borrowers grounds for dismissal. Their videos on TikTok have attracted hundreds of thousands of views in just a few days.