The Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media po

[mountaineer]

The Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media posts
Jana Winter
Wed, April 21, 2021, 12:00 PM

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.”

A number of groups were expected to gather in cities around the globe on March 20 as part of a World Wide Rally for Freedom and Democracy, to protest everything from lockdown measures to 5G. “Parler users have commented about their intent to use the rallies to engage in violence. Image 3 on the right is a screenshot from Parler indicating two users discussing the event as an opportunity to engage in a ‘fight’ and to ‘do serious damage,’” says the bulletin. ...

Yahoo News

Life under Chairman Biden, I guess. 

[thackney]

The Postal Service is running a 'covert operations program' that monitors Americans' social media posts
Jana Winter
Wed, April 21, 2021, 12:00 PMYahoo News

Life under Chairman Biden, I guess. 

https://www.uspis.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2019AR.pdf
page 36

The Internet Covert Operations Program
(iCOP) is one of seven functional groups
within the Inspection Service Cybercrime
program. The iCOP program protects
the Postal Service and the public by
facilitating the identification, disruption,
and dismantling of individuals and
organizations that use the mail or USPS
online tools to facilitate black market
Internet trade or other illegal activities.
Analysts in iCOP utilize USPS systems and
tools to provide open source intelligence
and cryptocurrency blockchain analysis
in support of all Inspection Service
investigations.

In Fiscal Year 2019, the iCOP team
produced a total of 209 Intelligence
Reports to the field in support of
investigations involving narcotics, mail
theft, revenue fraud, homicide, dangerous
mail, and more. In all, analysts identified
nine (9) previously unknown individuals,
and their reports resulted in the arrest of
10 individuals.

The iCOP team also completed 74
cryptocurrency analysis products resulting
in the seizure of over $300,000 in
cryptocurrency....

[mountaineer]

individuals and organizations that use the mail or USPS online tools to facilitate black market Internet trade or other illegal activities.

Yeah, there must be zillions of them.

[dfwgator]

I LOVE BIG BROTHER!

[DefiantMassRINO]

The social media companies and their 3rd party partners are already monitoring US social media usage in plain sight.

Ironically, voicing my views on this site may get me added to a terrorist watch list as a conservative extremist just because I refuse to drink the DNC and RNC establishment Kool-Aid.

[Fishrrman]

As I read this, I thought "what can this possibly have to do with the Post Office's Constitutional creation to deliver mail...?"

[mountaineer]

As I read this, I thought "what can this possibly have to do with the Post Office's Constitutional creation to deliver mail...?"

Glenn Beck went off on this today, and pretty much said the same thing. Under what authority is the USPS spying on online communication?

[berdie]

Glenn Beck went off on this today, and pretty much said the same thing. Under what authority is the USPS spying on online communication?

Getting money??

[sneakypete]

This HAS to be BullBush.

The USPS only handles MAIL.

Yeah,management might communicate with each other via emails,like everyone else,but that's it.

[thackney]

This HAS to be BullBush.

The USPS only handles MAIL.

Yeah,management might communicate with each other via emails,like everyone else,but that's it.

From 2019, sourced above

The Internet Covert Operations Program
(iCOP) is one of seven functional groups
within the Inspection Service Cybercrime
program.

[dfwgator]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTPzTG1Lx60

[mountaineer]

Apr 29, 2021 5:21 PM EST
CONFIRMED: The US Postal Service is spying on Americans' social media accounts
During a briefing, Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale told the Oversight Committee about the USPS's Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP), which monitored American social media accounts.
James Anthony, The Post Millennial

During a briefing on Thursday, Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale told the Oversight Committee about the USPS's Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP), which monitored American social media accounts.

This has recently been discovered by Yahoo News and published all over the media (TPM itself has already run an Apr. 21 article on the subject), but on Thursday the USPS itself admitted it. Many, however, felt that the briefing was too short, and especially too short on essential information.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said, "The Chief Postal Inspector was wildly unprepared for this briefing," after Barksdale couldn't even provide basic information, like the date iCOP started, according to the Daily Mail.

"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," stated Barksdale, referring to the World Wide Rally for Freedom, held on that date, in which people demonstrated against often draconian lockdowns. ...

Full story

[Sled Dog]

https://www.uspis.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2019AR.pdf
page 36

The Internet Covert Operations Program
(iCOP) is one of seven functional groups
within the Inspection Service Cybercrime
program. The iCOP program protects
the Postal Service and the public by
facilitating the identification, disruption,
and dismantling of individuals and
organizations that use the mail or USPS
online tools to facilitate black market
Internet trade or other illegal activities.
Analysts in iCOP utilize USPS systems and
tools to provide open source intelligence
and cryptocurrency blockchain analysis
in support of all Inspection Service
investigations.

In Fiscal Year 2019, the iCOP team
produced a total of 209 Intelligence
Reports to the field in support of
investigations involving narcotics, mail
theft, revenue fraud, homicide, dangerous
mail, and more. In all, analysts identified
nine (9) previously unknown individuals,
and their reports resulted in the arrest of
10 individuals.

The iCOP team also completed 74
cryptocurrency analysis products resulting
in the seizure of over $300,000 in
cryptocurrency....

iCOP dismantles individuals?

Scary stuff in the modern world, indeed.

[dancer]

All they need to do is check Craig's Lists.  They openly advertise for protestors and such.   

[christian]

After government agency after government agency has been turned into political lock-steppers and now even our armed forced, its about time for the generic mindless fool to step forward and declare, how could America turn into last Centuries Nazi Socialist democrats party of Germany, complete with hate and violence in the streets  to push their agendas to suspend our Constitution too !  Our law enforcement agencies committing shameless felonies against opponents and America people, Post Office and even the Internal Revenue Service. democrats deep in league with Communist Russia and Communist China.  What fools do these mortals be ?

[sneakypete]

From 2019, sourced above

@thackney

I still ain't buying it. The USPS Postal Inspectors already have enough work to do to keep them busy without having to fool around with idiot programs like that.

Besides,it violates what is probably THE "Cardinal Rule" of the USPS,which is to make sure that customers mail remains unread by anyone that is not whom the mail is addressed.

Believe it or not,but this rule was taken as seriously as a heart attack when I was working as a letter carrier.

[christian]

The postal service and shipping companies took personal opportunities to aid and abet NeverTrumpers and democrat election fraud last election, so wheres the mystery here ?

[thackney]

@thackney

I still ain't buying it. The USPS Postal Inspectors already have enough work to do to keep them busy without having to fool around with idiot programs like that.

Besides,it violates what is probably THE "Cardinal Rule" of the USPS,which is to make sure that customers mail remains unread by anyone that is not whom the mail is addressed.

Believe it or not,but this rule was taken as seriously as a heart attack when I was working as a letter carrier.

As a letter carrier, sure.  But you cannot have people that investigate mail fraud without some understanding of what is going in and out.  That has been done for decades.