The bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. couldn’t care less about your privacy. They want to have their eyes over your shoulder at all times.
And now the federal government just tore up your 4th amendment rights in a massive way.
What’s Happening?
According to The Washington Post, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other government agencies have been prying into the mail of tens of thousands of private citizens, raising serious concerns about government overreach.
The Post’s Drew Harwell reported Monday that the “U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has shared information from thousands of Americans’ letters and packages with law enforcement every year for the past decade,” highlighting a troubling breach of privacy by government entities.
Harwell noted that in doing so, the USPS has been “conveying the names, addresses, and other details from the outside of boxes and envelopes without requiring a court order.” This indicates a blatant disregard for legal oversight and citizens’ rights.
A “decade’s worth of records … in response to a congressional probe, show Postal Service officials have received more than 60,000 requests from federal agents and police officers since 2015,” Harwell added.
This shows a disturbing trend of government intrusion.
Postal Service Plays Ball
Per these records, USPS officials “rarely say no” to the requests, indicating complicity in this invasion of privacy.
“[Ninety-seven] percent of the requests were approved, according to the data,” Harwell indicated, demonstrating an alarming lack of accountability.
Harwell wrote that in a 2015 audit, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service “said it had approved more than 158,000 requests from postal inspectors and law enforcement officials over the previous four years. The IRS, FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security were among the top requesters,” further showcasing the pervasive reach of these government agencies into private lives.
Why it Matters
This is reminiscent of Soviet-Era censors who would search through civilian mail in search of anyone working “against the revolution.”
At least for the Soviets, they didn’t have any guaranteed right to privacy.
Meanwhile, here in America, they are flouting the Constitution because they think they aren’t going to get caught. Unfortunately for them, it didn’t work out that well.
In response to the Post’s report, The American Action Fund wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“The fact that government agents can spy on your mail without a warrant, without you ever knowing, is a slap in the face of the 4th Amendment,” capturing the outrage many Americans feel about this unchecked governmental power.
The American Action Fund is a project of Young Americans for Liberty, a group that advocates for limited government and Constitutional rights, standing against these overreaching government actions.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
