PostalReporter.com reported several months ago of USPS’s plan to implement ‘identity proofing’ for personal (non-business) customers who select this option at usps.com. “Individual (non-business) customers who wish to validate their identities in this manner, and who select this option, would be required to answer questions submitted by a consumer credit reporting company.”
USPS also announced plans to collect text message numbers to notify Collect On Delivery customers
- that their mail is ready to be delivered and to communicate with Package Intercept. customers to re-route mail deliveries as requested, and
- to confirm that a package has been delivered to the specific locations requested by customers who use the forthcoming Electronically Authorize Shipment Release feature.
Both of these changes were effective in February 2014. Here is the notice of changes from the Postal Bulletin:
Handbook AS-353 Revision: Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management
- SOR 810.100 www.usps.com Registration is being modified to allow the Postal Service to validate the email and text message numbers of customers who register on http://usps.com. Additionally, the proposed modifications will enable customer-supplied information to be analyzed for the purposes of detecting, preventing, and mitigating fraudulent activity.
- SORs 820.200 Mail Management and Tracking Activity and 880.000 Post Office and Retail Services are being modified to account for the collection of a customer’s text message number. This modification will enhance current services by allowing the Postal Service to notify a customer via text message when the customer’s mail or packages are ready to be delivered or delivery has been attempted. Customers will also be able to use text messaging to re-route mail, provide delivery instructions, or authorize the release of mail. The Postal Service is also updating and deleting system manager titles to reflect the current structure of the organization.