99-34050. Privacy Act of 1974, System of Records  

  • [Federal Register Volume 65, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2000)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 142-143]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 99-34050]
    
    
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    POSTAL SERVICE
    
    
    Privacy Act of 1974, System of Records
    
    AGENCY: Postal Service.
    
    ACTION: Notice of amended system of records.
    
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    SUMMARY: The purpose of this document is to publish notice of 
    amendments to Privacy Act system of records USPS 140.020, Postage--
    Postage Meter Records, renamed by this notice as USPS 140.020, 
    Postage--Postage Evidencing System Records. The change is necessary to 
    broaden the definition to include new postage evidencing technology 
    that allows customers to purchase postage and print evidence of postage 
    directly onto envelopes and labels using their personal computers, 
    printers, and the Internet (PC Postage). In addition, changes in the 
    system description are required to reflect collection of information 
    related to payment of postage through both traditional paper-based 
    licensing, as well as new postage evidencing products that allow 
    customers to apply for licenses online.
    
    DATES: Any interested party may submit written comments on the proposed 
    amendments. This proposal will become effective without further notice 
    on February 2, 2000, unless comments received on or before that date 
    result in a contrary determination.
    
    ADDRESSES: Written comments on this proposal should be mailed or 
    delivered to: Administration and FOIA, United States Postal Service, 
    475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, RM 8141, Washington, DC 20260-5202. Copies of 
    all written comments will be available at the above address for public 
    inspection and photocopying between 8 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday 
    through Friday.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betty Sheriff (202) 268-2608.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Privacy Act system of records USPS 140.020, 
    Postage--Postage Meter Records, renamed by this notice as USPS 140.020, 
    Postage--Postage Evidencing System Records, has traditionally covered 
    information collected from customers who apply for meter licenses and 
    who purchase postage under those meter licenses. The system name and 
    notice is amended to make it clear that the system also covers 
    information collected through implementation of new technology 
    information postage evidencing systems. This new technology has led to 
    postage evidencing systems that generate an Information Based Indicia.
        Using products developed by commercial vendors, the Postal Service 
    offers a service that lets customers purchase postage and print 
    evidence of postage directly onto envelopes and labels using their 
    personal computers, printers, and the Internet. Customers must have a 
    Postal Service-issued license before they can purchase and print 
    postage. The license applications are processed through traditional 
    licensing methods with the Postal Service maintaining the kind of 
    information historically covered by system USPS 140.020. The postage is 
    printed on the label or envelope in the form of a special digital 
    imprint called an Information Based Indicia. Postage evidencing systems 
    that produce an Information Based Indicia generate transaction log 
    files for each indicia created by a customer. These transaction log 
    files include data unique to security and revenue protection under the 
    Information Based Indicia Program (IBIP). This notice expands the 
    categories of records in the system to include the new information 
    collected by the postage evidencing systems generating Information 
    Based Indicia and improves the description of the data historically 
    collected.
        In addition, because data from the system may be used by the Postal 
    Service to advise the user about Postal Service products and services, 
    the purpose statement is expanded to include that secondary use. 
    Routine use 2 is changed to reflect the change in name from postage 
    meter to postage evidencing system.
        The system changes are not expected to have an effect on individual 
    privacy rights. Most information kept within the system pertains to 
    businesses rather than individuals. To the extent information is kept 
    about individuals, the changes do not in any manner alter the nature or 
    increase the types of personal information already kept in the system. 
    In fact, the amount of personal information kept is narrowed to the 
    extent that the Postal Service will no
    
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    longer capture and maintain the tax identification number (that might 
    also be an individual's social security number). Information collected 
    from the generation of the Information Based Indicia receives the same 
    security as that collected by the metered postage process. Systems 
    security has not been diminished. Moreover, the Postal Service has 
    given careful attention to ensure secure transmission of information it 
    receives electronically from the authorized product service providers. 
    A customer applying online for a postage evidencing system must provide 
    certain information to the service provider that is needed to process 
    the request for a license. The service provider then sends the 
    information to the Postal Service in a ``secure session'' established 
    by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or equivalent technology. These 
    technologies encrypt or scramble the transmitted information so it is 
    virtually impossible for anyone other than the Postal Service and its 
    authorized product service providers to read it.
        In addition to the protections imposed by the Privacy Act, the 
    Postal Reorganization Act imposes restrictions on the disclosure of 
    information of the type kept within system USPS 140.020. The Act does 
    not permit the Postal Service to disclose lists of postal customers or 
    other persons. It also does not require the Postal Service to disclose 
    information that could cause competitive harm. The Postal Service has 
    traditionally considered the mailing habits of a particular customer 
    exempt from disclosure under the Postal Reorganization Act.
        Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(11), interested persons are invited to 
    submit written data, views, or arguments on this proposal. A report of 
    the system changes has been sent to Congress and to the Office of 
    Management and Budget for their evaluation.
        USPS Privacy Act system 140.020 was last published in its entirety 
    in the Federal Register on October 26, 1989 (54 FR 43701) and was 
    amended on May 12, 1997 (62 FR 25980-25981). It is proposed that the 
    system description be amended as follows:
    USPS 140.020
    
    SYSTEM NAME:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Postage--Postage Evidencing System Records, 140.020.
    
    SYSTEM LOCATION:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Retail, Postal Service Headquarters; District offices; the 
    Information Systems Support Center, Eagan, MN; and authorized postage 
    evidencing system service providers.
    
    CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Postage Evidencing System users.
    
    CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Customer name and address, change of address information, corporate 
    business customer information (CBCIS) number, business profile 
    information, estimated annual postage and annual percentage of mail by 
    type, type of usage (customer, postal, or government), post office 
    where mail is entered, license number, date of issuance, ascending and 
    descending register values, device identification number, device model 
    number, certificate serial number, amount and date of postage 
    purchases, amount of unused postage refunded, contact telephone number, 
    date, destination delivery point (ZIP+4) and rate category of each 
    indicium created, and transaction documents.
    * * * * *
    
    PURPOSE(S):
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        To enable responsible administration of postage evidencing system 
    activities and, secondarily, to provide information about postal 
    products and services to customers who use postage evidencing systems.
    
    ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
    OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    * * * * *
        2. [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Records or information from this system may be disclosed to an 
    authorized postage evidencing system service provider or its 
    affiliates, dealers, subsidiaries, or franchises for administering the 
    postage evidencing system program. Release will be limited to relevant 
    information about that service provider's customers only.
    
    POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
    AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    * * * * *
    
    RETRIEVABILITY:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        By customer name and by numeric file of postage evidencing systems 
    identification number or customer license number.
    
    SAFEGUARDS:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Paper records and computer storage media are maintained in closed 
    file cabinets in secured facilities; automated records are protected by 
    computer password. Information is obtained from users over the Internet 
    and transmitted electronically to the Postal Service by authorized 
    postage evidencing system service providers in a ``secure session'' 
    established by the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or equivalent technology.
    
    RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Records are maintained for a period of up to four years after final 
    entry or the duration of the license and then destroyed by shredding.
    * * * * *
    
    NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        Individuals wanting to know whether information about them is 
    maintained in this system of records must address inquiries in writing 
    to: Manager, Metering Technology Management, United States Postal 
    Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 8430, Washington, DC 20260-2444. 
    When making this request, an individual must supply the license number 
    and his or her name as it appears on the postage evidencing system 
    license.
    * * * * *
    
    RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
        [CHANGE TO READ:]
        License applications, licenses, postal officials administering 
    postage evidencing systems, postage evidencing system activity reports, 
    refund requests for unused postage, postage evidencing system resetting 
    reports, log file entries, and authorized service providers of postage 
    evidencing systems.
    Stanley F. Mires,
    Chief Counsel, Legislative.
    [FR Doc. 99-34050 Filed 12-30-99; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
2/2/2000
Published:
01/03/2000
Department:
Postal Service
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of amended system of records.
Document Number:
99-34050
Dates:
Any interested party may submit written comments on the proposed amendments. This proposal will become effective without further notice on February 2, 2000, unless comments received on or before that date result in a contrary determination.
Pages:
142-143 (2 pages)
PDF File:
99-34050.pdf