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The U.S. Postal Service War on

Private Mailboxes and Privacy Rights

by Rick Merritt

No. 48

July 30, 1999

er who uses the box for business with the public.

On March 25, 1999, neatly concealed in an

However, access to such information could actu-

obscure and seemingly minor "Procedure Re-

ally facilitate criminal activity. Moreover, the

vision," the U.S. Postal Service announced its

Postal Service also plans to apply these new reg-

intent to execute Postal Bulletin 21994. In an

ulations to executive suites.

alleged attempt to combat mail fraud, the Postal

In addition, because it is impossible for box

Service required that by June 24, 1999, all com

-

holders to know everyone who might have their

mercial mail-receiving agencies (CMRAs) that

private box address on file, many otherwise

offer rental of private mailboxes should have

deliverable pieces of mail will be returned to the

collected from their customers confidential

sender, marked "address unknown." Finally, the

information that the Postal Service itself is not

new regulations will foist enormous costs on

allowed to collect. Furthermore, starting as early

some 1.5 million to 2.5 million private mailbox

as October 24, 1999, the USPS will deliver mail

holders, which include many of the country's

only to the private boxes addressed in a particu-

smallest businesses. CMRAs will also incur

lar format that will be unfamiliar to many send-

expenses, not only of compliance with and noti-

ers.

fication to box holders of the new regulations

Those new requirements violate the privacy

but also of lost business. A conservative estimate

regulations that cover the Postal Service. The

of the direct costs alone of the new regulations

USPS plans to make available to the public con-

could approach $1 billion.

fidential information about any private box hold-

Rick Merritt is executive director of PostalWatch Incorporated (http://www.postalwatch.org).