US Law Enforcement Able to Access Thousands of US Postal Service Files: Report

US law enforcement is accessing thousands of US Postal Service files, including its customers' letters and packages, every year, according to an exclusive report from The Washington Post.

Citing newly disclosed court documents, The Post claimed that US Postal Service officials received over 60,000 requests from federal agents and police officers to access mailers' personal details since 2015.

Among the most frequent requesters were officials from the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security.

At least 97% of all the requests were approved, allowing law enforcement to see people's addresses and identification at the US Postal Service's disclosure.

USPS Claim Law Enforcement's Access to Mails is Legal

Postal inspectors claimed that they have only shown officials information for criminal investigations in accordance with the Fourth Amendment and have required warrants to access the insides of the mail.

The documents came after several lawmakers wanted the US Postal Service's law enforcement arm, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, to disclose more details about the information given to law enforcement.

Dem. Sen. Ron Wyden claimed such practices still put thousands of Americans "subjected to warrantless surveillance each year."

Establishments Urged Law Enforcement's Access to People's Personal Data

The inquiry on the US Postal Service follows recent actions to limit intelligence agencies and law enforcement's access to American data amid rising reports of surveillance abuse.

Last December, Google and Apple stopped letting law enforcement access its users' data without a court order or warrant.

Among the policy changes introduced over the increased data privacy rules is the removal of data trackers in the Google Maps app allowing the tech giant access to people's location history.

The data privacy policy changes are intended to prevent the prevalent surveillance abuse many officials have committed over the past, including during the investigations on the Jan. 6 Capital Riot and the Black Lives Matter protesters.