BIG BROTHER: FOIA Request Shows Postal Machines Take, Store Photos
Every day our government moves closer and closer to "Big Brother". Soon the only people who will have privacy are the Bush Administration.
EPIC FOIA Request Shows Postal Machines Take, Store Photos. Documents (pdf 1.9 MB) obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that new Postal Service self-service postage machines take portrait-style photographs of customers and retain them for 30 days on a Windows XP platform.
Some implications:
Rather than improve the security of the mail it is suggested that sender identification will do the following:
Undermine the anonymity of the mail. Those who have a deep desire to remain anonymous, such as narcotics smugglers and terrorists will have the resources to communicate regardless, of any countermeasures put in place by the USPS, but valuable assets to the nation, such as whistle blowers and informers may be discouraged. It will also limit an important tool for those wishing to exercise their constitutional right to free speech. Even more mundane and everyday activities (like sending a anonymous card) will no longer be possible.
Destroy the privacy that sealed mail offers. Make it far easier for bodies (like the USPS) to gather vast amounts of information about consumers. It would be easy to find out where people sourced their insurance, got their credit card, mortgage, or what doctors they attended. Since medieval times people have attempted to keep this information private by sealing correspondence with wax, and in more recent times by enclosing confidential information (a part of which very often is the senders identification) within an envelope. This proposal will allow the ability to build an itemized profile of mail sent and received by one law abiding person.
Allow more opportunities for criminals to get access to personal data. It is not unheard of for phone companies to have their itemized billing databases compromised. This service, if implemented could provide another target for attack, except one with far more valuable information for identity thieves and common criminals.
More...
EPIC FOIA Request Shows Postal Machines Take, Store Photos. Documents (pdf 1.9 MB) obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show that new Postal Service self-service postage machines take portrait-style photographs of customers and retain them for 30 days on a Windows XP platform.
Some implications:
Rather than improve the security of the mail it is suggested that sender identification will do the following:
Undermine the anonymity of the mail. Those who have a deep desire to remain anonymous, such as narcotics smugglers and terrorists will have the resources to communicate regardless, of any countermeasures put in place by the USPS, but valuable assets to the nation, such as whistle blowers and informers may be discouraged. It will also limit an important tool for those wishing to exercise their constitutional right to free speech. Even more mundane and everyday activities (like sending a anonymous card) will no longer be possible.
Destroy the privacy that sealed mail offers. Make it far easier for bodies (like the USPS) to gather vast amounts of information about consumers. It would be easy to find out where people sourced their insurance, got their credit card, mortgage, or what doctors they attended. Since medieval times people have attempted to keep this information private by sealing correspondence with wax, and in more recent times by enclosing confidential information (a part of which very often is the senders identification) within an envelope. This proposal will allow the ability to build an itemized profile of mail sent and received by one law abiding person.
Allow more opportunities for criminals to get access to personal data. It is not unheard of for phone companies to have their itemized billing databases compromised. This service, if implemented could provide another target for attack, except one with far more valuable information for identity thieves and common criminals.
More...
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