[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 138 (Thursday, July 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41135-41137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-16343]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Postal Service \TM\.

ACTION: Notice of modification to an existing system of records.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service proposes to revise the existing system of 
records entitled, ``Address Change, Mail Forwarding, and Related 
Services, 800.000.'' The modification clarifies the existing routine 
use relating to disclosure of customers' temporary changes of address 
to mailers; disclosure of changes of address to the American Red Cross; 
obtaining and sharing lists of individuals affected by disasters from 
other government agencies; disclosure of changes of address for 
domestic violence shelters; and allowances for alternative methods of 
customer authentication for the submission of change-of-address (COA) 
requests in times of emergencies as well as in the regular course of 
business.
    Background: The basic function of the United States Postal 
Service[supreg] at all times, and especially during an emergency, is to 
bind the nation together through the delivery of postal services to the 
American public. The severity and magnitude of past catastrophic events 
have led to an evaluation of our records management policies. After 
careful review, the Postal Service believes that revisions to certain 
policies regarding disclosure of temporary changes of address to 
mailers, as well as disclosure of address information to the American 
Red Cross and other government agencies would be helpful, promote 
clarity and improve the provision of services to persons displaced by 
catastrophic events. Modifications to the system of records will be 
reflected in Categories of Individuals Covered by the System; 
Categories of Records in the System; Purposes of Such Uses; and 
Storage, Retention, and Disposal. The record source(s) for this system 
has also been amended to include commercially available source(s) of 
customer dates of birth. Date of birth information may be collected and 
used for verification purposes in the event credit/debit card 
information is not available for electronically submitted changes of 
address, and only in the event of a natural or manmade disaster as 
determined by the Postal Service. As a form of verification, credit/
debit card information is currently required for both Internet and 
telephone COA submissions. As a way to accommodate the customer in 
times of disaster, and to maintain a level of protection for Postal 
Service customers from fraudulent submission, an alternative method 
(providing date of birth) was developed as a form of identification and 
verification.
    In addition, the Postal Service continues to encourage the use of 
USPS.com[supreg] for secure and convenient online change-of-address 
submissions. The Postal Service currently requires a valid credit/debit 
card to authenticate a customer and to complete a change-of-address 
request online. We have found that many customers wish to use our 
online service; however, they are unable to because they do not possess 
the appropriate credit/debit card required for the authentication 
process. In order to accommodate those customers, the Postal Service 
plans to pilot test an alternative authentication option for online 
change-of-address submissions. The objective of the test is to 
determine, if given a choice, which types of identification customers 
prefer to provide as a method of authentication. For this test, 
customers will be offered a choice of authentication methods. They may 
continue to provide a credit/debit card OR as an alternative, they may 
choose to provide their driver's state and license number and their 
date of birth. If customers choose the latter, the customers' driver's 
state and license number and date of birth, along with their name and 
previous address, will be validated through the use of an authorized 
commercial database.
    The test will be conducted for a limited period of time and will 
include a small sample set of customers requesting to change their 
address on USPS.com. At the completion of the test period, results will 
be analyzed to determine if the objectives have been met. If the test 
is determined to be successful, this process may be implemented 
nationally.
    The privacy and security of the mail, including the change-of-
address process is the core of the Postal Service brand. Over the 
course of its history, the Postal Service has built a trusted brand 
with the public. New technology and

[[Page 41136]]

processes continue to be developed that bring added value and improved 
customer service to our networks. As always, the Postal Service will 
only use technology, or adapt technology, in a way that ensures that 
the privacy and security of the mail and its customers are maintained 
at the highest levels. The current proposal for change-of-address 
authentication is no exception. The USPS has carefully analyzed the 
need, usage, and benefits of an alternative authentication method, 
while establishing procedures that would properly address privacy and 
security needs.
    The Postal Service has considered and incorporated privacy and 
security features regarding use of commercial source(s) for the 
collection and verification of driver's license information and date of 
birth. The Postal Service has limited the type and amount of data 
provided to the commercial source(s) to only name, previous address, 
date of birth, driver's state and license number (for non-emergency) 
and telephone number. The commercial source(s) will purge all personal 
information once the transaction is completed and will limit the data 
returned. No personal information will be returned; output fields will 
only contain confirmation of authentication.
    In emergency situations, the Postal Service automated system will 
permit customers to enter their name and date of birth and will confirm 
this information. The customers' entry will be securely transmitted to 
the commercial database for verification. Strict limitations have also 
been placed around the use of the data by the Postal Service, as well 
as how data are provided to the commercial source(s).
    When customers enter their information online at USPS.com to 
request either an emergency change of address or for the alternative 
authentication test, which are both covered by the Privacy Act, they 
will be provided details on how their information is protected through 
the Privacy Act Statement. If customers do not have a credit/debit card 
number to use as a form of identification/verification, they will be 
asked for their date of birth as an alternative in an emergency, or 
both driver's state and license number and date of birth as an 
additional authentication method in non-emergency situations. Customers 
may decline to provide this information and submit their change-of-
address request via hard copy mail.
    Two other revisions are also included in this notice. First, online 
user information for Internet change-of-address requests (to include 
Internet Protocol (IP) address, domain name, operating system versions, 
browser version, date and time of connection, and geographic location) 
is listed as a new record category. This information may be disclosed 
to law enforcement personnel in order to aid the United States Postal 
Inspection Service to investigate cases of fraudulent online activity.
    Second, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 
Public Law 103-322, 108 Stat. 1796, requires the Postal Service to 
``secure the confidentiality of domestic violence shelters and abused 
persons' addresses.'' To further provide protection for address changes 
for domestic violence shelters and Court Ordered Protected Individuals 
(COPI), the Postal Service will revise routine uses ``a'' and ``b'' to 
clarify that domestic violence shelters may limit disclosure of their 
change-of-address information.

DATES: The revision will become effective without further notice on 
August 18, 2008 unless comments received on or before that date result 
in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed or delivered to the Records Office, 
United States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Room 5821, 
Washington, DC 20260-2200. Copies of all written comments will be 
available at this address for public inspection and photocopying 
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jane Eyre, Manager, Records Office, 
202-268-2608.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is in accordance with the 
Privacy Act requirement that agencies publish their amended systems of 
records in the Federal Register when there is a revision, change, or 
addition. The Postal Service has reviewed its systems of records and 
has determined that the Address Change, Mail Forwarding, and Related 
Services system should be revised to modify existing routine uses of 
records maintained in the system, including system location; categories 
of individuals covered by the system; categories of records in the 
system; purposes of such uses; storage, retention, and disposal; system 
manager(s) and address; and record source categories. Routine use for 
categories of users and the purposes of such uses covered by the system 
will be revised to provide clarification on how the information is 
disclosed during natural disasters and manmade hazards.
    The Postal Service does not expect this amended notice to have any 
adverse effect on individual privacy rights.
    ``Privacy Act System of Records USPS 800.000'' was originally 
published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2005 (70 FR 22517).
    The Postal Service proposes amending the system as shown below:
USPS 800.000, Address Change, Mail Forwarding and Related Services

SYSTEM LOCATION:
Categories Of Individuals Covered By The System; Categories of Records 
In The System; Purposes; Routine Uses Of Records Maintained In The 
System, Including Categories Of Users And Purposes Of Such Uses; 
Storage, Retention And Disposal; System Manager(S); And Address And 
Record Source Categories:
* * * * *

System Location:
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    USPS National Customer Support Center (NCSC), Computerized 
Forwarding System (CFS) sites, Post Offices, USPS Processing and 
Distribution Centers, USPS IT Eagan Host Computing Services Center, and 
contractor sites.

Categories of Individuals Covered by the System:
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    Customers requesting change of address, mail forwarding, or other 
related services either electronically, in writing, or via telephone. 
Customers who are victims of a natural disaster who request mail 
forwarding services through the Postal Service or the American Red 
Cross.

Categories of Records in the System:
    Item 2
    [Revise item 2 to read as follows, renumber existing item 8 as item 
9, and add new item number 8 as follows:]
* * * * *
    2. Verification and payment information: Credit and/or debit card 
number, type, and expiration date; or date of birth and driver's state 
and license number; information for identity verification; and billing 
information. Customers who are victims of a natural disaster who 
request mail forwarding service electronically may be required to 
provide date of birth for verification if credit and/or debit card 
information is unavailable.
    8. Online user information: Internet Protocol (IP) address, domain 
name, operating system versions, browser version, date and time of 
connection, and geographic location.
    9. Protective Orders.

[[Page 41137]]

Purpose(s):
* * * * *
    [Revise item 3 to read as follows:]
    3. To provide address information to the American Red Cross or 
other disaster relief organization about a customer who has been 
relocated because of disaster.
* * * * *
    [Add item 5 to read as follows:]
    5. To support investigations related to law enforcement for 
fraudulent transactions.

Routine Uses of Records in the System, Including Categories of Users 
and the Purposes of Such Uses:
* * * * *
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    Standard routine uses 1 through 7, 10, and 11 apply. In addition:
    a. Disclosure upon request. The new address of a specific business 
or organization that has filed a permanent change-of-address order may 
be furnished to any individual on request. (Note: The new address of an 
individual or family will not be furnished pursuant to this routine 
use, unless authorized by one of the standard routine uses listed above 
or one of the specific routine uses listed below.) If a domestic 
violence shelter has filed a letter on official letterhead from a 
domestic violence coalition stating (i) that such domestic violence 
coalition meets the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 10410 and (ii) that the 
organization filing the change of address is a domestic violence 
shelter, the new address shall not be released except pursuant to 
routine use d, e, or f pursuant to the order of a court of competent 
jurisdiction.
    b. Disclosure for Address Correction. Disclosure of any customer's 
new permanent address may be made to a mailer, only if the mailer is in 
possession of the name and old address: From the National Change-of-
Address Linkage (NCOALink[supreg]) file if the mailer is 
seeking corrected addresses for a mailing list; from the Computerized 
Forwarding System (CFS), from the Postal Automated Redirection System 
(PARS) if a mailpiece is undeliverable as addressed, or from the 
Locatable Address Conversion System if an address designation has been 
changed or assigned. Copies of change-of-address orders may not be 
furnished. In the event of a disaster or manmade hazard, temporary 
address changes may be disclosed to a mailer when, in the sole 
determination of the Postal Service, such disclosure serves the primary 
interest of the customer, for example, to enable a mailer to send 
medicines directly to the customer's temporary address, and only if the 
mailer is in possession of the customer's name and permanent address. 
If a domestic violence shelter has filed a letter on official 
letterhead from a domestic violence coalition stating (i) that such 
domestic violence coalition meets the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 10410 
and (ii) that the organization filing the change of address is a 
domestic violence shelter, the new address shall not be released except 
pursuant to routine use d, e, or f pursuant to the order of a court of 
competent jurisdiction.
* * * * *
    [Add item i as follows:]
    i. Disclosure to a disaster relief organization. Any customer's 
permanent or temporary change of address may be disclosed to the 
American Red Cross or other disaster relief organizations, if that 
address has been impacted by disaster or manmade hazard.

Storage:
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    Records generated from the source document are recorded on the 
Forwarding Control System file server and on tapes at CFS units. 
Electronic change-of-address records and related service records are 
also stored on disk and/or magnetic tape in a secured environment. 
Change-of-address records are consolidated in a national change-of-
address (NCOA) file at the USPS IT Eagan Host Computing Services 
Center. Selected extracts of NCOA are provided in the secure data 
format represented by the NCOA\Link\ product to a limited number of 
firms under contract or license agreement with USPS. Records pertaining 
to move-related services are also transmitted to specific service 
providers, including government agencies and private companies under 
contract to USPS.

Retention and Disposal:
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    1. National change of address and mail forwarding records are 
retained 4 years from the effective date.
    2. Delivery units access COA records from the change-of-address 
Reporting System database, which retains 2 years of information from 
the COA effective date. The physical change-of-address order is 
retained in the CFS unit for 30 days if it was scanned, or 18 months if 
it was manually entered into the national database.
    3. Online user information may be retained for 12 months. Records 
existing on paper are destroyed by shredding. Records existing on 
computer storage media are destroyed according to the applicable USPS 
media sanitization practice.

System Manager(s) and Address:
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    Vice President, Retail Operations, United States Postal Service, 
475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington DC 20260.

Record Source Categories:
    [Revise to read as follows:]
    Customers, personnel, service providers, and, for call center 
operations, commercially available sources of names, addresses, 
telephone numbers. For emergency change-of-addresses only, commercially 
available sources of names, previous addresses, and dates of birth. For 
alternative authentication sources of names, previous and new 
addresses, dates of birth, and driver's state and license number.
* * * * *

Neva R. Watson,
Attorney, Government Relations, FOIA and Privacy.
[FR Doc. E8-16343 Filed 7-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P