It's not just phones and Internet: Regular Mail is Tracked Too!

U.S. Postal Service Logging All Mail for Law Enforcement

Mr. Pickering was targeted by a longtime surveillance system called mail covers, but that is only a forerunner of a vastly more expansive effort, the Mail Isolation Control and Tracking program, in which Postal Service computers photograph the exterior of every piece of paper mail that is processed in the United States — about 160 billion pieces last year. It is not known how long the government saves the images.

Together, the two programs show that snail mail is subject to the same kind of scrutiny that the National Security Agency has given to telephone calls and e-mail.

Read the full story on the NY Times website for all the details.

A mail cover is a surveillance tool used by the Postal Service to monitor the mail of a person suspected of criminal activity by recording the information on the outside of all letters and packages delivered to a home or business. Law enforcement officials say its an important investigative tool, but privacy advocates say the practice is ripe for abuse because it lacks judicial oversight and is shrouded in secrecy.

So here we have the final "mainstream media" confirmation that all US citizens are tracked through all methods of communications, online and offline.

Despite the ridicule "conspiracy theorists" have often received for our "crazy notions" with an apparent increase in marginalized dismissals -- it turns out we were right all along. Not that I feel good about that.


ATS members, how can this be fixed?

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord


ATS members, how can this be fixed?

This is the curse with the gift of more developed technologies SkepticOverlord. And so as mankind continues to embrace technology advancing eventually the will lose them self within it...

EX: a smart house/car . Yes may provide all the securities and advanced house wares inside and out. But at the same time your life is then more information based as your security is monitored and techs upgraded that have to also be monitored for malfunction. So to fix or adjust may require a step away from technology, and just the thought of that for some is and so it seems all based on the COLLECTIVE will of those developing these techs. and consuming them.

NAMASTE*******

How can be this Fixed ? Go read the comments on Washington Post and NYT , They all wanna hang Snowden . Sorry to tell you this but majority of americans are uninformed , brainwashed and they are asleep. Welcome to 1984 . There is no anymore equality, there is no more constitution there is no more law . If you lied under oath before congress you will be in jail , but someone will only appologize

Clapper apologizes for 'erroneous' answer on NSA surveillance


www.foxnews.com...

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


Passenger pigeons!

I started a thread earlier about americans being able to seek asylum in other countries due to our human rights violation (with little interest from ats ...there is no way im staying here in the US...its not just totally due to all this..i resigned from my job but..after my entire adult life defending this country I have no reason to offer my services any more...at least to the US Gov. Im getting out while I can...only way any of this will change is with a clean wipe...unfortunately. I loved my service here to my people, but you are on your own. Good luck!

no wonder the post office is so efficient. its a multibillion dollar tracking machine operation from the upper echelons of the all powerful powers that be. there like "wow, this guy orders a lot of vape mail"

Fixed? One, the problem with this is that it serves no purpose outside of tracking people and watching for political dissandants. Its been around for awhile, how many bad guys did it catch and was it helpful for those lettrrs sent to obama?

Two, we all know corporations and government go hand and hand.

Three, can we have oversite! At least Morgan Freeman told Batman either the machine goes or i do. Because we in effect have the same thing. Not as fast and responsive as the movies but its in essence he same thing.

It seems the nsa is tryng to cure the headache by cutting of the head.

Just get people to send mass bomb threats to themselves. Its perfectly legal for me to threaten myself.

reply to post by Superhans


Haha I like this. Except poor 10 second memory tom would freak out!

There is only one solution to this mess Skeptic, only one way to solve all our problems.

Scrap the constitution. And adapt.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord

So here we have the final "mainstream media" confirmation that all US citizens are tracked through all methods of communications, online and offline.

Despite the ridicule "conspiracy theorists" have often received for our "crazy notions" with an apparent increase in marginalized dismissals -- it turns out we were right all along. Not that I feel good about that.


ATS members, how can this be fixed?

We need an intellectual discussion on these matters without getting sidetracked. The "conspiracy crowd" may have been right in the past, but for every reasonable, logically inclined person who is interested in what's going on behind closed doors, there are equal or greater amounts of the stereotypical "tin foil hat" wearing charlatans, who claim drones are bombing their neighbours, black helicopters are following them, and aliens abducted their wives, etc. etc.

Whether or not these people are paid to create the division that arises, is up for debate (I seriously consider it sometimes)... but until that stops, people will simply point to the stereotypical cookoo and say, "I don't wanna be that guy, leave me out of it."

I guess what's needed is for people to think it's "cool" to care about these things.

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


I have had more than a few parcels intercepted, opened, closed up, a little sticker placed on the package that it had been opened by the Postal Service, and then sent on over the past few years. (I am a jewelry maker, I also make charms and herbal remedies which I send through the post.) I have also had mail that just never arrived, a lot, some of it very important. I know that this does happen, but not on such a consistent basis. I used to tell people about this and they told me I was paranoid. So I just kind of quit talking about it.

I am not someone who hangs with drug dealers or terrorists; I am though very outspoken about certain subjects. I have never felt that I should hide my beliefs or concerns about the government, or any of several other things that I care passionately about. I still won't.

I just kind of find it funny that all of this is NEWS to most Americans. Shows how little most pay attention I guess.

reply to post by jaguarsky


Me too, for a year at least - right after 911 ... every single piece of mail was opened; but, wasn't labeled as opened by them in any way. I don't 'subscribe' to NY Times and refuse to make a whole new account just to read an article ... but, I found a partial quote from that article elsewhere that says,

(Actually opening the mail requires a warrant.)

So, why in the heck would I be targeted? Probably because I didn't vote for you know who I bet!

reply to post by cosmicexplorer


I just had to reply. I was thinking about leaving the US too. It's downhill momentum is picking up speed each year. Our government is falling behind other countries I once thought were controlling. I find myself actually respecting speeches by other leaders more than our own. I know we are the great experiment but we are now getting advice on sovereignty and being true to the people by Countries that used to be seen as living in the dark ages.

I'm not politically savy but what about a petition to repeal the act that set this whole thing into motion. I'm not sure how many signatures would be needed but people do these things with other issues all the time. We do still have this right for now.

Im sure this sounds too simple but look at things that get onto ballots from the people. It is a tool at our disposal. Maybe were making the solution too hard. We meed to take back our power now or continue to lose these rights or have more restrictions placed on them so they are harder to exercise.

How can this be fixed?

It can't.

We all know that once implemented there is no fighting it. Simply because the fight is too great and the People's outrage is too little and short term. It will be like everything else, "I'm doing nothing wrong so have nothing to worry about". and on and on and on.

Until of course the time arises when someone knocks on the door asking to search without warrant because of "Suspected" words or phrases used in their letter to Aunt Sally.

Pick one:

www.dailymail.co.uk...

My favorites:

Recovery
Infection
Sick
Flu
Aid
Relief

Just in case Aunt Sally is sick right?

Peace

Originally posted by jude11
How can this be fixed?

It can't.

We all know that once implemented there is no fighting it. Simply because the fight is too great and the People's outrage is too little and short term. It will be like everything else, "I'm doing nothing wrong so have nothing to worry about". and on and on and on.

Until of course the time arises when someone knocks on the door asking to search without warrant because of "Suspected" words or phrases used in their letter to Aunt Sally.

Pick one:

www.dailymail.co.uk...

My favorites:

Recovery
Infection
Sick
Flu
Aid
Relief

Just in case Aunt Sally is sick right?

Peace

(/quote)


Sadly your right about the too low motivation part. But motivation can be increased. Education can shift thinking and impact motivation. Groups can impact it by the strength and support groups offer. There are repeated studies that tell us motivation can be increased.

Look at students in schools and how they can increase motivation for a certain outcome - one being the very simple perceived reward or outcome if I do... Look at the government. Don't you think they know how to lower motivation for a specific behavior?

Motivation = cognition that leads to a behavior. If someone feels hopeless or apathetic how can they change their thinking? Too many ways to list in a post but one is groups that work through issues such as here at ATS. There are ways to get past that argument but your very correct - it is monumental. I don't know how many people are posting on ATS daily or how many more just read and aren't members but those numbers can be used to build strength in a cause.

Again with all the this tracking talk.

And of all places who would of ever guessed the postal service has some type of tracking..would you prefer they lacked such logistics?

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


What if we are seeing all of these stories right after another for a reason. Maybe TPTB have finally figured out we are neutered cats.


Look at what the people want to see from the news. Some stupid trials of people who amount to nothing. The real stories are like farts in the collective winds of apathy. We have lost. It will sink in as time goes on and nothing changes.


People in other countries get up in arms over bus prices and we grumble about our total loss of privacy and constitutional freedoms. The only way people would really wake up is if food or cable was cut off. This is it folks might as well get used to it. We have utterly lost everything the founding fathers ever wanted for us.

Have some fake NSA or DHS stationary (envelope, letterhead...) made up and use that; maybe they would still read it, maybe not?? make sure the letters also contain small amounts of white powder--that really freaks out the poor clerks tasked with opening letters...

Closed room, black table-top, separate air-conditioning--Government agencies went to a lot of expense after that anthrax scare; even here in AU

reply to post by SkepticOverlord


There is no fixing. Only obeying . . .obey . . . obey . . .obey



Wait, isn't the USPS on the way out?

Originally posted by EL1A5
Again with all the this tracking talk.

And of all places who would of ever guessed the postal service has some type of tracking..would you prefer they lacked such logistics?

edit on 4-7-2013 by EL1A5 because: (no reason given)

No.

But to abuse the power is another issue.

Peace