Law enforcement SPYING on thousands of Americans

The U.S. Postal Service has shared information from thousands of Americans’ letters and packages with law enforcement every year for the past decade, conveying the names, addresses and other details from the outside of boxes and envelopes without requiring a court order.
Postal inspectors say they fulfill such requests only when mail monitoring can help find a fugitive or investigate a crime. But a decade’s worth of records, provided exclusively to The Washington Post in response to a congressional probe, show Postal Service officials have received more than 60,000 requests from federal agents and police officers since 2015, and that they rarely say no.
Each request can cover days or weeks of mail sent to or from a person or address, and 97 percent of the requests were approved, according to the data. Postal inspectors recorded more than 312,000 letters and packages between 2015 and 2023, the records show.

[@drrisen-9442]

Mailman here. Part of the reason we track this is to find people dodging child support. In my experience postal employees are taught to never disclose any form of personal information whatsoever to law enforcement without a signed warrant.

[@vy_you-vy_anybody]

Could you elaborate on the process? Are you looking for letters/packages potentially sent by the dodger and trying to locate them?

[@mmboiler10]

How does that even make sense

[@drrisen-9442]

@@vy_you-vy_anybody Essentially all we can do is confirm or deny to child services if an individual that owes child support is receiving mail at that address.

[@Vexvaporrub]

​@vy_you-vy_anybody that wpuld make sense. Maybe its to verrify an address for court. See if someone is staying some where else than what they say? So if they get a court letter they knkw they're actually getting them?? 😅 just guessing tho

[@BreachNClear]

​@vy_you-vy_anybody mailman here. While our clerks do their rounds they hand us a sheet from either the state, law enforcement, or a law firm. It gives a brief description about what it's for, and has 4 options that we check and sign. 1 they don't live there, and didn't leave a forwarding address. 2 they moved and this is their new address 3, unknown 4 delivered as addressed. The last option just means to our best knowledge they do live there. As drrisen mentioned under zero circumstances can we disclose, or discuss personal info of our customers with anyone other than a postal employee. If a police officer stops you on your route as asks is if so and so lives at this address we legally have to tell them I cannot answer that question, and that they need to go through the proper channels and get a warrant. Usually we just look for mail, but packages also work

[@bamaha24]

I mean, if they’re only looking at the outside of a letter, they have to determine where it goes anyways.

[@Ben-M112]

I was thinking the same thing

[@z-powered-nathan]

Postal staff need to know where it's going. Not law enforcement

[@bamaha24]

@@z-powered-nathan postal staff are government employees

[@Heavenly_Fury]

@@z-powered-nathan Postal Inspectors are postal staff, their job ranges form returning lost missing mail to actually crime. This isn't a big issue in fact it's legally acceptable as it falls under the plain view doctrine. Your name and address is not private information at all rather public information hence how the government including law enforcement are able to locate you these days.

[@z-powered-nathan]

@@Heavenly_FuryMy problem is that law enforcement is able to request access to mail cover info without a warrant. Tbf the are much bigger issues with both law enforcement and surveillance rn but the FBI shouldn't just be able to just look at the outside of your mail whenever they want for no reason.

[@RiversEagle_]

Ok at first I thought this was a major violation of our rights, but they’re literally just eyeballing the outside packaging. They’re not getting any information a UPS worker doesn’t already see.

[@palmberry5576]

Yeah, when he said “physically opening the mail” I was thinking things like scans and stuff

[@Wildkidnoremak]

Mailman here, if you want private information, don't send it on a post card. It's hard not to read it when I'm delivering it

[@Dylan_Ambrosek]

Or just put the postcard in an envelope

[@godish_tv8623]

Or just be professional, dont be nosey and don't read it because its not for you?

[@Dylan_Ambrosek]

@@godish_tv8623 I mean, they kind of have to read it to know where to deliver it

[@TesteSovereign]

​@@godish_tv8623 They need to look at it to find the address..?

[@erinkelley4104]

This makes me wonder what people are putting on postcards 😅

[@StAjoraGames]

"BREAKING NEWS!!! Postal service reads the outside of your envelopes!" Jesus dude really?

[@jamessloven2204]

They made it sound like they are scanning your letters and recording their contents. Frankly, post-Unabomber and Anthrax, I am surprised they aren’t doing X-Rays or something to detect dangerous materials.

[@ad_astra5]

After anthrax and unabomber USPIS has been able to make sure your mail isn’t dangerous. It’s not new or unconstitutional

[@fijit4]

Isn't this the same as how law enforcement can look through your trashcans left on the curb? Anything easily visible to the public doesn't really count as needing a warrant.

[@fancythisgirl3]

Law enforcement can’t do that either. They still have to have a warrant.

[@TheRcfighterpilot]

​@fancythisgirl3 nope been ruled on already. since your trash is in the curb they can go trough it

[@scottlemiere2024]

@@fancythisgirl3 SCOTUS ruled on this decades ago: if it's in the trash, the cops don't need warrants.

[@joe4171]

@@fancythisgirl3no they don’t. Anything that does not fall under “reasonable expectation of privacy” is not protected. Same reason LEOs can run your plates without probable cause.

[@CatGamer-wc2ij]

@@joe4171 Yeah just trolls

[@nickdesjardins5987]

When I was getting my precheck for TSS they said there was a suspicious package delivered to my old address where my moms apartment is and I had to talk to several people to prove it wasn’t my package. They definitely check lol

[@EarthSurfer]

This is Manufactured Outrage and Willful Ignorance. The USPS Informed Delivery program has been sending subscribers scans of letter envelopes and other mail pieces for almost a decade. I always assumed that info was retained and was made available to law enforcement. Governments never give up info unless explicitly told to do so.

[@Rob-metoo527]

Yes, and you'll go to the polls and vote for the same politician who works for corporations and then blame everyone else. Yes, it's the american voter's fault.

[@xrcassassin3544]

​@@Rob-metoo527so Trump?

[@Ben-M112]

How do they know where it is supposed to go if they can’t look at the outside for the adress

[@z-powered-nathan]

Postal staff need to know the address. Not law enforcement

[@hefywefy5331]

​@@z-powered-nathanso when one government agency does it but when another it's fine

[@surengrigorian7888]

@@hefywefy5331 Access of information is not freely shared between government agencies; at least they cannot acquire the provided details under pretense of legality.

[@z-powered-nathan]

@@hefywefy5331 one does mail shit and the other does spying shit so yeah basically. It's more the principle of needing a warrant

[@Cheezepuffs_]

​@@z-powered-nathanUSPIS is postal staff.

[@pandemonium2536]

The mailmen in 5 years having to guess off scent where the mail in going (They aren't allowed to read addresses anymore):

[@michaelmurphy2112]

All mail carriers will be dogs!!! Wait, does that mean we all have to routinely pee on our mailboxes?

[@bubblelady8528]

Right like people are so dramatic about privacy

[@wiifitt]

So... ship in boxes then?

[@Grumpy1174]

It'd give them the same information. A name and address. That's all they're looking at, which is why they're correct in that there's no expectation of privacy because the information will be read by anyone who touches the mail.

[@jacobc9221]

​@@Grumpy1174Addresses should not be protected. But at least with boxes you can ensure they're not reading more than they should. Overstepping, as police often do.

[@tabathaterry2998]

Then it gets x-rayed for sure to avoid bombs

[@Grumpy1174]

@@jacobc9221 I'd argue that a box is giving them more information, though. They aren't opening the letters. They're literally just looking at the front of them and then sending the letter off. With a box, they'll get all the same information (sender, receiver, company, address), but the contents of boxes are also generally clearly marked, so it you don't want to give the government more information, a letter is still better than a box.

[@jacobc9221]

@@tabathaterry2998 Not by the police though

[@ThatPersonNamedJune]

"Sniff sniff, yu- yup, that's- sniff, yup that's- that's concrete." -Scorpia

[@QuilloManar]

"Why was my post card delivered AFTER I got back home? I sent that 4 months ago!" Post Office: "Sorry, I had to get a court order to inspect the outside of the letter, which includes the address we were supposed to send it to."

[@xrcassassin3544]

Depends on a lot of factors dude. If you start sending mail from Columbia to the US red flags SHOULD be raised.

[@lucario4486]

I see no problem with the outside of my mail being read

[@ominousromanpillar238]

What could they even get off of the outside. What your name and address the things that are already on your id

[@HildeTheOkayish]

it's the difference between reading and tracking. seeing one letter of you that was send to your aunt? sure I guess. i mean they need to know where the letter goes to send it there after al. but tracking and recording where each letter goes allows you to setup a network of contacts which in turn can reveal some really private info

[@violett874]

​@@ominousromanpillar238Fun fact: your name + address is considered personal identifiable information, and there are laws in place to protect that information, similar to HIPPA. Just because you're fine with giving out that info doesn't entitle your local government worker to freely distribute that info.

[@neilemminger8628]

Limit their power wherever you can.

[@Onestaythelast]

@@neilemminger8628 By not letting them... send mail? They need to read the address. Also they'd just get replaced by a far worse private organization.

[@abriannaaguilera2123]

Imagine glancing at your neighbours mail when talking to them while you're picking up the mail and you get arrested for stealing information.

[@FeelFREESuper]

It’s actually very simple they do a minor scan of the parcel to check for foreign objects like drugs, explosives, and so on. Other then that it’s basic.

[@drudle]

So, the government can look at, and read, what's written on the outside of a piece of mail? Next you'll be telling me they can legally read the words on my shirt or look at what my tattoos are!

[@jamessloven2204]

This is much less intrusive than, say, using your driver’s license picture in facial recognition systems. For anyone who doesn’t know, that is why you aren’t supposed to smile when they take your picture.

[@jamessloven2204]

This is much less intrusive than, say, using your driver’s license picture in facial recognition systems. For anyone who doesn’t know, that is why you aren’t supposed to smile when they take your picture.

[@ladyblut2612]

Now I understand my grandma friend always send letters with aluminum inside.

[@boneappletee6416]

It's easier to just add anthrax

[@adams3560]

@@boneappletee6416Seriously dude?

[@kyosokutai]

@@boneappletee6416 ... No. No it isn't. You're cringe.

[@Almora-gp3hs]

​@@kyosokutaiAnd you take things too seriously. Chill.

[@Sure_You_Betcha]

How? How is thay preventing them from looking at the outside of a package?

[@H-mz4hy]

I used to work at FedEx Express. We had a system called FRED that we used to find where to re-route a package if the address was incorrect or if someone at the address said that the person moved. If we put your name and an address in FRED we could pull your addresses for the past like 20 years. We could find out who had lived at that address for an insane amount of time. I think you'd have had to put that address in your ID or maybe used it for a bill but we had it. It stands to reason USPS has something similar or better given that their whole thing is mail.

[@RutabegaNG]

"Third mail pun" 😆

[@TheOgMrQuack]

Considering they send me a picture of my mail via email, I'm not surprised. And like they said it's illegal to open someone's mail but just looking on the outside is expected, I mean how else can they deliver it

[@uber1337hakz]

It is possible to see the words inside letters without opening the letters. People have used this technology to read ancient books that can't be opened because they're so deteriorated. The US govt has this technology.

[@charliewion8925]

Takes 35+ hours to scan a single item though, plus the time turning the scan into words. Not nearly efficient enough for actual use in checking mail

[@mmboiler10]

Yeah but if they did it to everything it would bankrupt the nation. Just cause it exists doesn't make it practical

[@lucky4d725]

Your profile pic says a lot.

[@jacobc9221]

And they use it to violate the 4th amendment?

[@lynnefox4892]

Maybe, but it is not as quick as making a photocopy. You have to calculate depths to nanometers. It is an arduous, precise process that can take years for a single document.

[@the.dirt.man.]

Damn that third mail pun got me

[@darkadmiral106]

Here in Germany we have this thing called the Postal Secret, which is written into our Constitution and Law, and the punishment for violations against it are...uncomfortable.

[@troublesometoaster4492]

Same, and ever since the GDPR our protection only became stronger. You as a postal worker can't even hand back the mail to someone who just gave it to you because from the moment they hand it to you and you register it, it can only only be opened by the person who is receiving it. Obvious exceptions apply, but for those you need to mail an authorisation for the package to be opened. If you mail books (it's way cheaper than normal mail), you need to write "contains books, feel free to open and inspect," and if you mail firearms, there needs to be a form allowing it to be opened by police if needed. Otherwise, they just won't mail it at all. Lost packages are incinerated or destroyed in another way, according to their contents, so none of that "buy bulk lost Amazon packages" you sometimes see online.

[@robertmoore6149]

I agree there is no expectation of privacy of what is written on the outside of a envelope or package. But if they are doing anything to examine the contents or text inside apart from a security check (looking for bombs for example)? Hell no

[@TheJrbdog]

I thought this was common knowledge?

[@darthxader1112]

I mean don’t they have to look at the stuff on the outside of the letter to deliver it? How could they deliver it if they couldn’t look at that stuff?

[@pmc1727]

When a senator is asking for a change why was my first thought. Oooh that guy is doing shady stuff using the mail and didn’t realize he could get caught.

[@billyjackmedley]

Mail man here. We had a package come in stinking of weed. Should we ignore that?

[@DukesArchive]

Soooo the information that the police are gaining could be gained by literally anyone who handled or even looked at the package......OH NOOOOOOOOOO

[@westrim]

You're going to have to explain more why this is a problem. Not even coming at it from a "If you didn't do anything wrong, why worry?" thing, but like the chief said, I never expected the outside of a letter to be private. If anything this is way milder than I thought; I figured they databased every letter already. They send me images so I know what's in the box already.

[@Sure_You_Betcha]

There's not an issue... its manufactured outrage. God forbid mailmen look at the mail. 😂

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

I think it's the idea of logging the mail at all that's bothering people, kind of like tracking bus passes.

[@IrisGlowingBlue]

@@Sure_You_Betcha I believe it isn't the looking that's the problem, it's the keeping years of records after delivering.

[@Sure_You_Betcha]

@IrisGlowingBlue Okay? Sounds like the USPS also covering its bases... I still fail to see the issue.

[@thl205]

I inspect the outside of any letters received in the name of the previous tenant, in case it's a fine or something I need to know about.

[@rareram]

This is not spying. And if you publicly wrote things where anyone can see it... That's like leaving your piece visible in your car.

[@CibusMission]

I was told that they do open the mail to make sure it "really is Media Mail" I am sending. I didn't even think of the unlawful search and seizure until you mentioned that it is technically illegal.

[@safehouse432]

I am imagine the cliche scene of the characters trying to open an envelope by steaming, but a bunch of cops in a warehouse full of boxes of mails as they steam open one at a time over a pot of hot water.

[@thomandstacieverroad8417]

I wish people would understand that they have a tracking device that listens to you and can see you anytime it wants to, that you hold in your hand 23 hours a day. If you're really worried about being spied on throw your cell phone out the window

[@catherinerichard2387]

Ex-postal employee. I get more details about the program but honestly. It’s not really a big deal. They are getting way less information than your Google searches or Facebook posts, and truly it makes sense that they are just checking addresses. Saying postal workers shouldn’t would impede the process unduly. And yahhhh they had a LOT of rules for keeping the mail safe.

[@iworshiptoddhoward1672]

Just in the news, Washington Post discovers what “in plain view” means when it comes to basic law enforcement functions

[@hickoryst.6961]

If this is any surprise to you, you're living under a rock. And just for perspective, more than 300 million pieces of mail are sorted every single day. That's 109 BILLION per year. 300k over the course of a decade is an infinitesimally small amount.

[@robertmueller6979]

I fully expect my government to keep eyes on mail and internet deliveries. It's an easy way to look for anomalies.

[@thatoneguywhoknowsaguy1624]

If its legalized, how is it a violation of the 4th ammendment

[@zzzzzzzz7501]

Fun fact! If your package is sent to the “wrong address” you can go down and they’ll print out the info for you and try to mark out the “mis-delivered” address with Sharpie. You can read it still if you put it up to light. I found out USPS worker was scanning my new monitor at a house miles away as at the mailbox and after working for them before, I know they stole it.

[@EinsamPibroch278]

Nah, I want this. I don't care if the Cops peak at my anime collection I order online, but I do care that Traffickers can't send suspicious envelopes through drop shipping scams.

[@ryanmaclean1720]

I mean how else are they supposed to know who is supposed to get what mail without looking at a package or envelope. Thats where that information is. Washington Post being misleading, shocker.

[@no-bozos]

Does that include mail that has been placed in my mailbox?!!!

[@cobble616]

Finally I don't need to Google which one the 4th amendment is

[@argasyargasy2366]

Explain to me how the mail service will send the mail to the intended recipient without knowing this information? O.o

[@troublesometoaster4492]

Not sure about the US but in Europe, using any personal information for anything other than the intended purpose is a huge violation of our rights, unless it's in the interest of the public or through a judicial order, and even then, there are huge debates on what's allowed, and until a consensus is reached, authorities would rather not use that information than use it when they couldn't. This means that, if you mail a letter and the terms of service state that the addresses and names are only used for the purpose of knowing where to mail it, they cannot do anything else with that information. Depending on the case and country, this could be anything from obvious infractions like recording who mails who and sharing it with the police to even more strict ones like telling a friend their ex got a letter from someone.

[@Mahbu]

Wait. . so. . they're just looking at the outside of the letters and packages? Don't. . don't they do this anyway? Like, are people blindly throwing boxes and letters into place and just hoping for the best?

[@Socobie_Gamer]

Hey mooncalf, just an FYI, ANYONE can read your personal information if they see your package, not just the mailman... How about instore when you're filling out the details right next to someone? OH! RED ALERT!

[@ReaIHuman]

Literally no one is surprised about this.

[@therandompineapple3805]

In my city, mailboxes are required to have locks

[@MrCOLBSTAH]

Wow crazy. What are they going to find like bills and coupons? I'm so scared

[@dantedisalvo3181]

Just a wee bit alarmist though transparency is good. idk how they're supposed to get the address to deliver without inspecting the outside of the package.

[@pyotrberia9741]

It is shocking to discover that there are Americans who still believe they have any privacy rights.

[@ladykoiwolfe]

The only thing I expect to keep private is what's in my head. A secret is best kept between one person.

[@cesarhernandez769]

“Safety over freedom” or “Too much freedom is unsafe” I blame those who chant these words and vote in that direction

[@adamblakeslee5301]

Honestly, as long as they can't open your mail I can deal with this policy. Of course, I want more transparency but we can still double up on envelopes or cover messages in aluminum.

[@theMightyWhytey]

Outside of mail feels like fair game. Soon they will start dusting for fingerprints…

[@CptApplestrudl]

If you are worried about spying...think bigger. I'd say "patriot act"

[@frikon726]

That sniff was crazy

[@rusty2381]

The post office is reading evelopes?!?! The nerve!

[@theslav-combineempire2997]

As a student of "Manipulator of Postal Transport and Services" I can tell you, that is a violation of the Postal secret, at least in the Czech republic

[@heather361]

Oh my! I’m so shocked! The last 20 years isn’t a clue?

[@BigSirZebras]

I would be worried about this if I received a single piece of mail in the past decade.

[@kassassin_brahgawk]

I knew this because the mailman that delivered my jobs mail helped get people arrested by tracking packages, names, etc for cops

[@ShyMatsi]

So they can see the addresses? Well, if they don't read it, they won't know where to send it.

[@JBlazingit]

Is this like an out of touch young person thing? Like did you not realize the address is on the envelope and that’s how they know where to deliver the mail?

[@Howeydoit]

Dont they... have to look at the address on the outside of mail? To deliver it correctly? This is goofy as hell

[@DeusExRequiem]

my question when it comes to laws is, if it's not enforceable, how effective is the law really?

[@kingflumph5968]

I now have a vision of the postal inspector character from thay episode of brooklyn 99 just absolutely SNIFFING mail for hours on end

[@amazingman63]

Wait what? How do you think they know where the letter goes....you have to write it on the letter

[@the0therethan]

comments are freaking out but tbh if they’re not opening the package it’s not a big deal. how do you think postal services figure out where to send the package

[@twocows360]

crazy, my first thought was "is anyone surprised"

[@Lericah4902]

Fair point. I just think it's important to know that UPS and FedEx can not violate your Fourth Amendment rights because they are private corporations. At worst, they can violate their EULA.

[@richardmillhousenixon]

Clarification needs to be made that yes, they can indeed do things which would normally violate your 4th amendment rights, but since they aren't government agents or actors, they are not held to any legal expectation of protecting those rights.

[@Lericah4902]

@@richardmillhousenixon so we agree that there is a double standard and USPS is the only one currently meeting that higher standard.

[@dirtymcnuggets9933]

Wait until he finds about listening in on phone calls and tracking what you say online.

[@wrenmacdonald5754]

I elaborately decorate letters I send to my British pen pal so I hope the law enforcement has been enjoying my monogrammed wax seals and intricate fairy tea party drawings ☠️

[@SpagettiSpeltWrong]

"US Law enforcement doesn't care about privacy at all." In other news, trees are made of wood.

[@Ch0rr1s]

Have you ever heard of Edward Snowden and what the NSA is doing?😂

[@arterca]

Missed opportunity to say "smells like manilla"

[@KaiserTwo]

Can we get an Unlawful Search and Seizure song? That shit kind of went hard for a bit.

[@mx.menacing]

This is honestly terrifying.

[@Sure_You_Betcha]

No, it's actually not... 😂 god forbid the mail men look at your mail...

[@chummygun]

How?

[@gigachadgaming1551]

“Yeah, we did it. What’re you gonna do about it?” -US Government every 5 years

[@beccalife275]

The envelope conveniently rips open

[@Tessa_Wolf_]

“I for one am shocked” i just always assumed they did.

[@JasonFightsCrime]

This isn't a big reveal. It isn't any kind of s secret. Law enforcement has been getting mail covers for decades. Essentially, they get what you see when you have Informed Delivery. They get an image of the front and back. It isn't a big deal.

[@zadinal]

OMG the post office is doing things it legally has a right to constantly! Shocking...

[@fr89k]

I work in the computer vision industry and I say a demonstration of an application once that uses NIR to see what's inside an envelope. I don't want to say that the US postal services uses it. I just want to say that it's possible.

[@paulmccartney1982]

oh good because i always forget to check my mail

[@cbbcbb6803]

Who gets to say what is reasonable?

[@whitewolf8458]

if you send a package within the package and they opened the package would the package inside require a warrant?

[@riptyurass302]

I don’t see the problem with this. If you’re really concerned about privacy in the mail use some sort of envelope. If it’s exposed writing then it’s fair game.

[@airlag]

It was 1987 or 1988 where my friends and I wrote a graphics program including scanner support, that was able to show the backside writing of a piece of paper. And we weren't even illuminating it from behind. This wasn't even the intent of the software, but we found out the hardware was able to do it. Guess how safe the content of a letter is 25 years later. If you use a powerful illumination from behind, a good digital camera and have software with various specialized filters. you can read the letter without opening or damaging it. Using a flashlight is not illegal. Using a cam is not illegal. Highlighting details with software filters is not illegal. All together, these things break your fundamental rights.

[@wvp07]

What a waste of resources.

[@charmainew.1458]

I think we kind of knew that with postcards😂

[@KaosDeathLord]

Oh but if I look into oeople's mailboxes it's a felony

[@beef717]

I don’t see what the big deal with that is, they’d see it and feel it either way

[@violett874]

This is a very big gray area of security/privacy because technically, just your name + address is already considered personal identifiable information, which by federal and state law must be safeguarded. If they're going around showing anyone that asks the outside of your mail, where your name and address are clearly visible, they should at a minimum keep track of who is accessing that sensitive information and for what purpose.

[@zenandtheartofskateboarding]

honestly that’s not great but also probably the least concerning violation of privacy in this country

[@Sure_You_Betcha]

It's not bad. This is manufactured outrage at a nonissue. God forbid the mail man look at your mail...

[@7819thomas]

My mother is a postal worker, if you think that's bad, they will xray your packages just like tsa does to your bags to determine what's inside your mail

[@richardmillhousenixon]

No they don't. Not all packages, they don't have nearly enough resources to do that. It gets externally scanned, and if it sets off certain alarms, for example an explosives residue test, THEN they xray it.

[@7819thomas]

@richardmillhousenixon I never said all packages... but if any sort of police/agency wanted they could have your mail xrayed

[@richardmillhousenixon]

@@7819thomas Not without a warrant or other probable cause.

[@JackCarregan]

I sure how they are reading what is on the outside of the the package.