Is the US Government's Snail-Mail Logging Program Invasive?

[jtbell]

I think I've seen the analogy somewhere, that the much-discussed capturing of meta-data for e-mail, text messages etc. is like recording the sender and destination names and addresses on a snail-mail envelope without actually opening the envelope.

Well, surprise... the US government is doing that too, with the cooperation of the US Postal Service. It's called the "Mail Isolation Control and Tracking" program.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/us/monitoring-of-snail-mail.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

 

[Hepth]

There is a difference. Its as if they logged not just snail-mail USPS, but also all of your Fed Ex, UPS, etc. packages that are not affiliated with or funded by the US government.

If my email was blahblah[at]email.us.gov I could expect some tracking statistics. And I expect some internal tracking statistics for gmail, yahoo etc. But INTERNAL and sharing with 3rd party entities without consent is a little different. Or if it said in the TOS that it would share meta-data with the government, then I would have accepted.

Theres a difference for sure.

 

[edward]

I think I've seen the analogy somewhere, that the much-discussed capturing of meta-data for e-mail, text messages etc. is like recording the sender and destination names and addresses on a snail-mail envelope without actually opening the envelope.

Well, surprise... the US government is doing that too, with the cooperation of the US Postal Service. It's called the "Mail Isolation Control and Tracking" program.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/us/monitoring-of-snail-mail.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I suppose the next thing will be intelligent bar codes on snail mail. (some simple bar code systems are already in use).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_Mail_barcode

 

[edward]

I think I've seen the analogy somewhere, that the much-discussed capturing of meta-data for e-mail, text messages etc. is like recording the sender and destination names and addresses on a snail-mail envelope without actually opening the envelope.

Well, surprise... the US government is doing that too, with the cooperation of the US Postal Service. It's called the "Mail Isolation Control and Tracking" program.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/us/monitoring-of-snail-mail.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I am surprised that it has'nt been contracted out to a private company.

from the ink:

Mr. Pickering was targeted by a longtime surveillance system called mail covers, a forerunner of a vastly more expansive effort, the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program, in which Postal Service computers photograph the exterior of every piece of paper mail that is processed in the United States — about 160 billion pieces last year. It is not known how long the government saves the images.

 

[LudusRex]

I find this revelation concerning and potentially invasive. The comparison to recording sender and destination information on a snail-mail envelope without opening it is accurate, as this program allows the government to track and store information about the mail without physically opening it.

While it may be argued that this program is necessary for national security purposes, it raises ethical concerns about privacy and government surveillance. The collection and storage of this information could potentially be used for purposes beyond its intended use, and the lack of transparency surrounding the program is troubling.

As scientists, we value the importance of data privacy and the need for informed consent when collecting and using data. The government should be held to these same standards and should be transparent about the extent of their surveillance programs.

In addition, the potential for errors or misuse of this data cannot be ignored. The government must ensure that proper protocols are in place to protect the accuracy and security of this information.

In summary, as a scientist, I believe that the US government's snail-mail logging program raises important questions about privacy, transparency, and data ethics. Further discussion and oversight are necessary to ensure that the rights and privacy of citizens are protected while also addressing national security concerns.