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<title>Protect Postal Privacy |
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- GNU Project - Free Software Foundation</title> |
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<div class="article reduced-width"> |
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<h2>Protect Postal Privacy</h2> |
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|
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<address class="byline">by Kathleen Ellis</address> |
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|
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<div class="comment"> |
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<p>The Free |
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Software Foundation does not lead this campaign, but we support it by |
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spreading the word and hope that you do too.</p> |
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</div> |
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|
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<h3>Background</h3> |
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<p> |
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The United States Postal Service has submitted a rule to Congress |
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proposing that all Commercial Mail Receiving Agencies (CMRAs) must, |
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as of June 24, 1999, collect significant personal information from |
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all clients using their services. This would certainly affect |
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anonymous mail transactions, and could put millions of CMRA |
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customers in danger. Any CMRA or CMRA customer who refuses to |
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comply with this regulation would effectively lose their right to |
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receive mail.</p> |
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<p> |
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The proposed regulation (published in the Federal Register on March |
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25, 1999) requires that CMRAs collect names, home addresses, |
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telephone numbers, and photo ID information about each customer. If |
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the CMRA customer classifies themselves as a business, they must |
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surrender the information on that box holder to anyone who asks for |
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it. CMRAs are widely used by survivors of domestic violence, |
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undercover law enforcement officials, and stalking victims in order |
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to conceal their locations and identities from people who could |
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cause them harm.</p> |
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<p> |
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The USPS proposal was intended to help cut down on mail fraud, a |
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practice that costs consumers millions of dollars every year. |
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However, experts state that the Postal Service's proposal will not |
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serve as a deterrent to criminals. “It will be a simple process |
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for those with financial means to rent homes, apartments, office |
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space, or the executive suites available in most major metropolitan |
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area,” says Postal Watch's website.</p> |
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<p> |
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Congressman Ron Paul has introduced House Joint Resolution 55, which |
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would effectively revoke the Postal Service's new regulations |
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regarding CMRAs, but the resolution needs your support in order to |
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ensure that this insidious assault on consumer privacy is defeated.</p> |
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|
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<h3>What you can do</h3> |
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|
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<ol> |
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<li>Contact your Representative and urge them to co-sponsor HJR 55.</li> |
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<li>Write or call members of the House Appropriations Committee and |
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inform them about this issue, and urge them to pass the |
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resolution.</li> |
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<li>Send written comments about this issue to the US Postal Service |
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before July 9, 1999 to: |
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<address> |
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Manager, Administration and FOIA United States Postal Service |
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<br /> |
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475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 8141 Washington, DC 20260-5202 |
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</address></li> |
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</ol> |
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|
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<h3>More information</h3> |
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For further information, see the following web pages: |
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|
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<ul> |
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<li>Privacy.org [in 2021: <a href="https://www.epic.org/">epic.org</a>]</li> |
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<li><a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/106th-congress/house-joint-resolution/55"> |
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H.J.Res.55—106th Congress</a></li> |
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</ul> |
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<p class="unprintable">Updated: |
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$Date: 2021/08/28 13:55:49 $ |
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