The Privacy Act broadly prohibits the Postal Service from collecting or maintaining records describing or relating to how an individual exercises his or her rights under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Prohibited records include, among other things, those that describe a person’s political, ideological, or religious affiliations and associations. There is an exception to this rule if the Postal Service is expressly authorized by statute to maintain such records, if the individual has expressly authorized the Postal Service to maintain the information, or maintaining the records is pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity. If you are concerned or suspect that you are collecting information that relates to an individual’s exercise of his or her First Amendment rights, contact the Privacy and Records Management Office as soon as possible.
