[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39876-39880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14277]


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POSTAL SERVICE


Privacy Act; System of Records

AGENCY: Postal Service\TM\.

ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.

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SUMMARY: The United States Postal Service\TM\ (USPS\TM\) is proposing 
to revise a General and Customer Privacy Act System of Records. These 
updates are being made to facilitate use of market research tools that 
will be implemented by the Chief Customer and Marketing Organization 
within the Postal Service to assess new and existing USPS and 
competitive products, services, processes, and campaigns in order to 
gauge attitudes, perceptions, opinions, habits, and usage

[[Page 39877]]

of USPS products and services from voluntary participants (including 
employees and customers).

DATES: These revisions will become effective without further notice on 
August 4, 2022, unless comments received on or before that date result 
in a contrary determination.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted via email to the Privacy and 
Records Management Office, United States Postal Service Headquarters 
([email protected]). Arrangements to view copies of any written comments 
received, to facilitate public inspection, will be made upon request.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janine Castorina, Chief Privacy and 
Records Management Officer, Privacy and Records Management Office, 202-
268-3069 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice is in accordance with the 
Privacy Act requirement that agencies publish their systems of records 
in the Federal Register when there is a revision, change, or addition, 
or when the agency establishes a new system of records.
    The Postal Service has determined that Customer Privacy Act Systems 
of Records (SOR), USPS 890.000, Sales, Marketing, Events, and 
Publications and General Privacy Act SOR 100.600, Personnel Research 
Records should be revised to support the implementation of market 
research tools.

I. Background

    The Marketing Department, specifically the Customer Insights and 
Marketing Strategy team, is responsible for managing customer, 
employee, and market research across the USPS. This includes, but is 
not limited to initiatives such as:

 Advertising Campaigns
 Brand Strategy
 Strategic Customer Programs
 Customer Experience with Products and Services, including Call 
Center
 Innovation
 Product Improvements and Development
    The Marketing organization utilizes best-in-class market research 
tools that are used across public, private and academic settings. The 
tools also provide the evidence, proof points, and data for decision-
makers at USPS to determine what actions are optimal for the Postal 
Service.
    The following tools are used by the Marketing department to provide 
foresight and intelligence across the organization:

 Focus groups
 Surveys
 Interviews
 Diaries
 Observational Studies
 Prototype assessment
 A/B Comparison Testing

II. Rationale for Changes to USPS Privacy Act Systems of Records

    The Postal Service is proposing to modify USPS SORs 100.600 and 
890.000 to support the use of market research and insights tools by the 
Marketing Department that will be utilized to improve the effectiveness 
for business decision making across the organization. Use of these 
tools enhance insight collection and assessment of new products, 
services, processes and campaigns for USPS. These SOR modifications are 
necessary for acquiring data to generate the insights for senior 
leadership decisions, such as for the USPS Leadership Team.

III. Description of the Modified System of Records

    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 proposed revisions has been sent to Congress and to the Office of 
Management and Budget for their evaluations. The Postal Service does 
not expect these amended systems of records to have any adverse effect 
on individual privacy rights. USPS SOR 890.000, Sales, Marketing, 
Events, and Publications and 100.600 Personnel Research Records are 
provided below in their entirety as follows:

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    USPS 890.000, Sales, Marketing, Events, and Publications.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    None.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    USPS Headquarters Marketing and Public Policy; Integrated Business 
Solutions Services Centers; National Customer Service Center; Area and 
District USPS facilities; Post Offices; and contractor sites.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Chief Customer and Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, 
United States Postal Service, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 
20260-4016.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    39 U.S.C. 401, 403, and 404.

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    1. To understand the needs of customers and improve USPS sales and 
marketing efforts.
    2. To provide appropriate materials and publications to customers.
    3. To conduct registration for USPS and related events.
    4. To enable access to the USPS meeting and video web conferencing 
application.
    5. To enhance your online meeting experience by utilizing enhanced 
features and functionality, including voluntary polling to gather 
responses from attendees to generate reports or the interactive chat 
feature.
    6. To facilitate team collaboration and communication through 
information sharing and cross-functional participation.
    7. To allow task allocation and tracking among team members.
    8. To allow users to communicate by telephone and instant-messaging 
through web-based applications.
    9. To provide users outside of the USPS limited collaboration and 
communication capabilities through guest account access.
    10. To facilitate and support cybersecurity investigations of 
detected or reported information security incidents.
    11. To share your personal image via your device camera during 
meetings and web conferences, if you voluntarily choose to turn the 
camera on, enabling virtual face-to-face conversations.
    12. To facilitate and support marketing initiatives, advertising 
campaigns, brand strategy, customer experience with products and 
service, including call centers, strategic customer programs, and 
innovation and product improvement development.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    1. Customers who interact with USPS sales personnel, respond to 
direct marketing messages, request publications, respond to contests 
and surveys, voluntarily participate in focus groups, interviews, 
diaries, observational studies, prototype assessments, A/B comparison 
tests, and attend USPS events.
    2. Customers and other individuals who participate in web-based 
meeting, video conference, collaboration, and communication 
applications sponsored by the USPS.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    1. Customer information: Customer and key contacts' names, date of 
birth, age, home mailing address, and email address; phone, fax, and 
pager numbers; company name, job descriptions, titles, roles, level, 
and company address; other names and emails provided by customers.
    2. Identifying information: Customer ID(s), D-U-N-S Numbers, USPS

[[Page 39878]]

account numbers, meter numbers, and signatures.
    3. Business specific information: Firm name, size, and years in 
business; number of employees; sales and revenue information; business 
sites and locations; URLs; company age; industrial classification 
numbers; use of USPS and competitor's products and services; types of 
customers served; customer equipment and services; advertising agency 
and spending; names of USPS employees serving the firm; and calls made.
    4. Information specific to companies that act as suppliers to USPS: 
Contract start and end dates, contract award number, contract value, 
products and/or services sold under contract.
    5. Information provided by customers as part of a survey or 
contest.
    6. Payment information: Credit and/or debit card number, type, 
expiration date, and check information; and ACH information.
    7. Event information: Name of event; role at event; itinerary; and 
membership in a PCC.
    8. Customer preferences: Preferences for badge name and 
accommodations.
    9. Participant session data from web-based meetings and web 
conferences: Participant name, participant's webcam-generated image 
(including presenters), recorded participant audio, video, and shared 
meeting screen content, chat interaction, polling questions and 
associated responses, participant join time and leave time, meeting 
duration, participant location, and participant media hardware 
information.
    10. Event session data from web-based meetings and web conferences: 
Event start time, event status, event organizer, event presenter, event 
producer, event production type, event recording setting, total number 
of event media viewings.
    11. Historical device usage data from web-based meetings and web 
conferences: Device type (such as mobile, desktop, or tablet), Device 
Operating System, Number of users of related Operating Systems, 
Operating System Version, MAC address, and IP address.
    12. Historical application usage data from web-based meetings and 
web conferences: Number of active users, number of active users in 
groups, number of active group communication channels, number of 
messages sent, number of calls participated in, last activity date of a 
user, and number of guest users in a group.
    13. Web-based Public Switched Telephone Network data records: Phone 
number, time phone call started, user name, call type, phone number 
called to, phone number called from, called to location, called from 
location, telephone minutes used, telephone minutes available, charges 
for use of telephone services, currency of charged telephone services, 
call duration, call ID, conference ID, phone number type, blocked phone 
numbers, blocking action, reason for blocking action, blocked phone 
number display name, date and time of blocking.
    14. Web-based Direct Routing Public Switched Telephone Network 
records: Call start time, user display name, SIP address, caller 
number, called to number, call type, call invite time, call failure 
time, call end time, call duration, number type, media bypass, SBC 
FQDN, data center media path, data center signaling path, event type, 
final SIP, final vendor subcode, final SIP phrase, unique customer 
support ID.
    15. Survey data: customer perception, feelings, habits, past 
behaviors, preferences, recommended improvements, willingness to buy, 
ownership, and hypothetical future scenarios.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    Customers, USPS personnel, and list providers.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS 
AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    Standard routine uses 1. through 7., 10., and 11. apply.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    Automated databases, computer storage media, and paper.

POLICIES OF PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    1. For sales, events, and publications, information is retrieved by 
customer name or customer ID(s), mail or email address, and phone 
number.
    2. For direct marketing, information is retrieved by Standard 
Industry Code (SIC) or North American Industry Classification System 
(NAISC) number, and company name.
    3. Report and tracking data created during web-based meetings and 
video conferences that pertain to individual participants, content 
shared, conference codes and other relevant session data and historical 
device usage data, are retrieved by meeting ID, host name or host email 
address.
    4. Records pertaining to web-based collaboration and communication 
applications are retrieved by organizer name and other associated 
personal identifiers.
    5. Media recordings created during web-based meetings and video 
conferences are retrieved by meeting ID, host name or host email 
address.
    6. Web-based meeting and video session recordings are retrieved by 
meeting ID, host name or host email address.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    1. Records relating to organizations and publication mailing lists 
are retained until the customer ceases to participate.
    2. ACH records are retained up to 2 years. Records relating to 
direct marketing, advertising, and promotions are retained 5 years.
    3. Other records are retained 3 years after the relationship ends.
    4. Report and tracking data created during web-based meeting and 
video conferences, such as session data and historical device usage 
data, are retained for twenty-four months.
    5. Records pertaining to web-based collaboration and communication 
applications are retained for twenty-four months.
    6. Web-based meeting and video session recordings are retained for 
twenty-four months.
    7. Customer insight, market research, and survey records will be 
retained for 3 years.
    Records existing on paper are destroyed by burning, pulping, or 
shredding. Records existing on computer storage media are destroyed 
according to the applicable USPS media sanitization practice.

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    Paper records, computers, and computer storage media are located in 
controlled-access areas under supervision of program personnel. Access 
to these areas is limited to authorized personnel, who must be 
identified with a badge.
    Access to records is limited to individuals whose official duties 
require such access. Contractors and licensees are subject to contract 
controls and unannounced on-site audits and inspections.
    Computers are protected by mechanical locks, card key systems, or 
other physical access control methods. The use of computer systems is 
regulated with installed security software, computer logon 
identifications, and operating system controls including access 
controls, terminal and transaction logging, and file management 
software. Online data transmission is protected by encryption.

[[Page 39879]]

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Requests for access must be made in accordance with the 
Notification Procedure above and USPS Privacy Act regulations regarding 
access to records and verification of identity under 39 CFR 266.5.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    See Notification Procedure and Record Access Procedures.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    For information pertaining to sales, inquiries should be addressed 
to: Sales and Customer Relations 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 
20260.
    Customers wanting to know if other information about them is 
maintained in this system of records must address inquiries in writing 
to the Chief Customer and Marketing Officer and Executive Vice 
President and include their name and address.

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FROM THIS SYSTEM:
    None.

HISTORY:
    August 4, 2020, 85 FR 47258; June 1, 2020, 85 FR 33208; October 24, 
2011, 76 FR 65756; April 29, 2005, 70 FR 22516.

SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
    USPS 100.600 Personnel Research Records

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
    None.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    USPS Headquarters, Integrated Business Solutions Services Centers, 
and contractor sites.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Vice President, Human Resource, United States Postal Service, 475 
L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20260-4135.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    39 U.S.C. 401, 410, 1001, and 1005.

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
    1.To support research and development efforts on personnel 
assessment instruments, recruitment efforts, workforce analysis, and 
evaluation of human resource management practices.
    2. To assess the impact of selection decisions on applicants in 
race, ethnicity, sex, tenure, age, veteran status, and disability 
categories.
    3. To facilitate and support marketing initiatives, advertising 
campaigns, brand strategy, strategic customer programs, customer 
experience with products and services, including call centers, and 
innovation and product improvement development.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    1. Potential applicants for USPS employment, applicants for USPS 
employment, USPS employee applicants for reassignment and/or promotion, 
employees whose work records or solicited responses are used in 
research projects, and former USPS employees.
    2. Employees who voluntarily respond to direct marketing messages, 
respond to surveys, voluntarily participate in focus groups, 
interviews, diaries, observational studies, prototype assessments, and 
A/B comparison tests.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    1. Applicant, potential applicant with candidate profile, and 
employee information: Name, Social Security Number, Candidate 
Identification Number, Employee Identification Number (EIN), or 
respondent identification code, place of birth, date of birth, age, 
postal assignment or vacancy/posting information, work contact 
information, home address and personal phone number(s), personal email 
address, finance number(s), title, level, duty location, and pay 
location.
    2. Personnel research information: Records related to race, 
ethnicity, sex, tenure, age, veteran status, and disability status 
(only if volunteered by the individual); research project identifiers; 
and other information pertinent to personnel research.
    3. Survey data: employee perception, feelings, habits, past 
behaviors, preferences, recommended improvements, experiences with 
customers, ownership, and hypothetical future scenarios.

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    USPS employees, former employees, applicants, and potential 
applicants with candidate profiles who provide information to personnel 
research programs and other systems of records.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS 
AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    Standard routine uses 1 through 9 apply.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
    Automated database, computer storage media, digital files, and 
paper files.

POLICIES OF PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
    By individual name, Social Security Number, Candidate 
Identification Number, Employee Identification Number, personal email 
address, respondent identification code, research project identifiers, 
postal assignment or vacancy/posting information, duty or pay location, 
or location where data were collected.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
    1. Retention depends on the type of research project but does not 
exceed 10 years.
    2. Data retained for surveys conducted by Customer insight, market 
research and survey records will be retained for 3 years.
    Records existing on paper are destroyed by burning, pulping, or 
shredding. Records existing on computer storage media are destroyed 
according to the applicable USPS media sanitization practice.

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
    Paper records, computers, and computer storage media are located in 
controlled-access areas under supervision of program personnel. Access 
to these areas is limited to authorized personnel, who must be 
identified with a badge. Access to records is limited to individuals 
whose official duties require such access. Contractors and licensees 
are subject to contract controls and unannounced on-site audits and 
inspections. Computers are protected by mechanical locks, card key 
systems, or other physical access control methods. The use of computer 
systems is regulated with installed security software, computer logon 
identifications, and operating system controls including access 
controls, terminal and transaction logging, and file management 
software.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Requests for access must be made in accordance with the 
Notification Procedure above and USPS Privacy Act regulations regarding 
access to records and verification of identity under 39 CFR 266.5.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    See Notification Procedure and Record Access Procedures.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Individuals wanting to know if information about them is maintained 
in this system of records must address inquiries to the Vice President, 
Employee Resource Management, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 
20260.
    In cases of studies involving information not collected through an 
examination, individuals must address inquiries to the system manager.

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Inquiries must contain full name; Candidate Identification Number, 
Employee Identification Number, or respondent identification code, and 
subject or purpose of research/survey; and date and location of their 
participation.

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FROM THIS SYSTEM:
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(j) and (k), USPS has established 
regulations at 39 CFR 266.9 that exempt records in this system 
depending on their purpose. The USPS has also claimed exemption from 
certain provisions of the Act for several of its other systems of 
records at 39 CFR 266.9. To the extent that copies of exempted records 
from those other systems are incorporated into this system, the 
exemptions applicable to the original primary system continue to apply 
to the incorporated records.

HISTORY:
    July 19, 2013; 78 FR 43247; June 17, 2011; 76 FR 35483; April 29, 
2005; 70 FR 22516.
* * * * *

Sarah E. Sullivan,
Attorney, Ethics and Legal Compliance.
[FR Doc. 2022-14277 Filed 7-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P