[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

[[Page 143]]

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