The order will not only help protect the privacy of students and school staff in New York, but it will also hinder one aspect of the federal surveillance state.

In 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill placing a temporary moratorium on facial recognition technology in the state's schools through July 2022. The law also established a commission to study whether biometric technology is appropriate for use in New York schools, and if so, what kind of restrictions should be placed on their use.

The Tenth Amendment Center is part of a coalition of more than 40 organizations that pushed for the passage of this bill. That coalition put significant pressure on Cuomo to enact the legislation.