'Smart stamps' next in war on terrorism

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

I have spare copies of Orwell 1984 djf


Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 10:49:01 -0500
From: "Trei, Peter" <ptrei () rsasecurity com>
Subject: 'Smart stamps' next in war on terrorism
To: "'dave () farber net'" <dave () farber net>


Another long step down the road to the Total
Surveillance State.

For IP, if you wish.

Peter Trei

---------------------
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20031026-124606-8419r.htm

The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

'Smart stamps' next in war on terrorism
By Audrey Hudson
Published October 26, 2003


    Sending an anonymous love letter or an angry note to your congressman?
The U.S. Postal Service will soon know who you are.
    Beginning with bulk or commercial mail, the Postal Service will require
"enhanced sender identification" for all discount-rate mailings, according
to the notice published in the Oct. 21 Federal Register. The purpose of
identifying senders is to provide a more efficient tracking system, but
more importantly, to "facilitate investigations into the origin of
suspicious mail."
    The Postal Service began to look into updating mailing procedures after
the anthrax scares in October 2001 when an unknown person or persons sent
several U.S. senators and news organizations envelopes filled with the
deadly toxin. Two post office workers died from handling envelopes laced
with anthrax.
    "This is a first step to make the mail more secure," said Joel Walker,
customer service support analyst for the mailing-standards office.
    But what has privacy advocates concerned is a report by a presidential
commission that recommends the post office develop technology to identify
all individual senders, which is directly referenced in the Federal
Register notice. The proposed regulations are open for public comment
through Nov. 20 to the Postal Service.

[...]

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