Postal Service iCOP covert program

[Pauls' Revere]

FFS what country am I in?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/the-post...s-americans-social-media-posts-160022919.html

The law enforcement arm of the U.S. Postal Service has been quietly running a program that tracks and collects Americans’ social media posts, including those about planned protests, according to a document obtained by Yahoo News.

The details of the surveillance effort, known as iCOP, or Internet Covert Operations Program, have not previously been made public. The work involves having analysts trawl through social media sites to look for what the document describes as “inflammatory” postings and then sharing that information across government agencies.

“Analysts with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) monitored significant activity regarding planned protests occurring internationally and domestically on March 20, 2021,” says the March 16 government bulletin, marked as “law enforcement sensitive” and distributed through the Department of Homeland Security’s fusion centers. “Locations and times have been identified for these protests, which are being distributed online across multiple social media platforms, to include right-wing leaning Parler and Telegram accounts.”

 

[phill4paul]

Is it any wonder?

https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/USPS-ammo-purchase-federal/2014/04/14/id/565541/

Add the U.S. Postal Service to the list of federal agencies seeking to purchase what some Second Amendment activists say are alarmingly large quantities of ammunition.

Earlier this year, the USPS posted a notice on its website, under the heading "Assorted Small Arms Ammunition," that says: "The United States Postal Service intends to solicit proposals for assorted small arms ammunition. If your organization wishes to participate, you must pre-register. This message is only a notification of our intent to solicit proposals."

 

[pcosmar]

"and distributed through the Department of Homeland Security’s fusion centers."

There are those Federal Fusion Centers that don't exist, again.

 

[Pauls' Revere]

"and distributed through the Department of Homeland Security’s fusion centers."

There are those Federal Fusion Centers that don't exist, again.

The same ones that watched us in 2008.

 

[Working Poor]

I am glad I was banned from social media but, now I have one more reason to be glad.

 

[Anti Globalist]

That's not shocking one bit.

 

[Pauls' Revere]

Can't they just deliver the mail? wtf.

 

[Matt Collins]

Gaetz Leads 9 Lawmakers to Abolish USPIS’s “Internet Covert Operations Program”

From a press release:

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) led a group of nine Republican lawmakers today in the introduction of the ‘‘USPIS Surveillance Protection Act.” If passed, the legislation would defund the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP), an illegal domestic surveillance program.

Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Ranking Member James Comer (KY-01) sent a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy requesting a briefing on the program after a recent report exposed iCOP’s surveillance update on a government bulletin distributed by the Department of Homeland Security. The bulletin reported the program’s findings of social media posts by right-leaning users on platforms such as Facebook, Parler, and Telegram.

“The Postal Service should deliver the mail on time and on budget. They shouldn’t have a covert surveillance program to monitor social media political behavior, protected by our cherished Constitution. As the dangers of government surveillance and targeting become ever the more clear, especially to conservatives, Congress must immediately abolish this program,” said Congressman Matt Gaetz.

Text of the “USPIS Surveillance Protection Act” and list of original co-sponsors may be found below.

ORIGINAL CO-SPONSORS:

Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05)
Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04)
Rep. Tim Burchett (TN-02)
Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-01)
Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-04)
Rep. Marjorie Greene Taylor (GA-14)
Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-04)
Rep. Scott Perry (PA-10)
Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17)

LEGISLATION TEXT:

To prohibit funds from being used to implement the Internet Covert Operations Program under the United States Postal Inspection Service, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘USPIS Surveillance Protection Act’’.

SEC. 2 FINDINGS

(1) The United States Postal Service has been operating a clandestine domestic surveillance program of Americans’ social media activity known as the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP). (2) iCOP is part of the United States Postal Inspection Service which is the law enforcement and security component of USPS. (3) The USP Inspection Service is operating outside of its USPS jurisdiction when it monitors internet users’ sharing of information as its jurisdiction is narrowly defined within postal mail only. (4) The iCOP program is a violation of privacy; it encroaches upon the private lives of Americans and seeks to curb constitutional rights of the First Amendment. (5) iCOP is not only illegal for operating outside of its stated jurisdiction, but also politically motivated in its target.

SEC. 3 PROHIBITON ON FUNDING OF PROGRAM

No Federal funds (including amounts available in the Postal Service Fund established under section 2003 of title 39, United States Code) may be used to implement, conduct, or otherwise carry out the Internet Covert Operations Program operated by the United States Postal Inspection Service or any other domestic surveillance program with politically motivated targets.

###

 

[CaptUSA]

This is hilarious. All of a sudden this is a big deal when it happens to them.




ETA: Don't get me wrong, I think this is long overdue. But it's literally being led by the person MOST likely to be accused of a hypocritical self-serving bill. Which of course means, it goes nowhere.

 

[phill4paul]

How about a DOJ investigation and prison time? Oh, that's right. Government Agency's don't investigate other Government Agency unless they too should be investigated. Just like politicians.

 

[Anti Globalist]

This is hilarious. All of a sudden this is a big deal when it happens to them.




ETA: Don't get me wrong, I think this is long overdue. But it's literally being led by the person MOST likely to be accused of a hypocritical self-serving bill. Which of course means, it goes nowhere.

Maybe if Gaetz decides to let Massie lead this maybe it could go somewhere.

 

[Matt Collins]

Rep Gaetz Tries To Defund USPIS’ “Internet Covert Operations Program”

Congressman Matt Gaetz Introduces Legislation to Defund USPIS’ “Internet Covert Operations Program”​

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) reintroduced the ‘‘USPIS Surveillance Protection Act." The legislation, if passed, would defund the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP), an illegal domestic surveillance program operated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

In April 2021, a report from Yahoo News exposed USPIS’ iCOP surveillance government bulletin that was distributed by the Department of Homeland Security. The bulletin reported the program's findings of “inflammatory” posts on social media accounts, including on Facebook, Parler, and Telegram.

In March 2022, following pressure from the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the USPS Inspector General released a report stating that “certain proactive searches iCOP conducted using an open-source intelligence tool from February to April 2021 exceed the Postal Inspection Service’s law enforcement authority.” Since then, there has been no indication that USPIS has shut down iCOP, likely meaning that this surveillance program is still violating Americans’ privacy and seeking to curb their First Amendment rights.

Rep. Gaetz’s legislation would prohibit any federal funds, including amounts available in the Postal Service Fund, from being used by USPIS to carry out iCOP, or any other similar program.

“The Postal Service should be focused on delivering the mail on time and on budget, not running a covert surveillance program to monitor political behavior on social media. This program is not only outside USPIS' jurisdiction and infringes on American citizens' civil liberties but is more evidence of the government-sanctioned spying on its own citizens. Congress must immediately abolish this program,” Congressman Gaetz said.

Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s bill can be found HERE. Additionally, exclusive coverage of the bill by WEAR Pensacola can be found HERE.