U.S. Postal Service: Improved Oversight Needed to Protect Privacy of Address Changes
GGD-96-119
Published: Aug 13, 1996. Publicly Released: Aug 13, 1996.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the U.S. Postal Service's oversight of the National Change of Address (NCOA) program, focusing on: (1) how the Postal Service collects, disseminates, and uses NCOA data; and (2) whether the Postal Service adequately oversees the release of NCOA data in accordance with privacy laws.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Postal Service | To strengthen oversight of the NCOA program, the Postmaster General should require the NCOA program office to develop and implement written oversight procedures, which should include: (1) the responsibilities and timetables for using seed records to help verify that licensees release new addresses only as a result of accurate name and address matching; (2) requirements to obtain and review licensees' NCOA-related proposed advertisements, document the review, and notify licensees of the results within the time period prescribed in the licensing agreement; and (3) requirements for systematically recording all NCOA-related complaints received, including actions taken to resolve complaints. |
By letter of May 30, 1996, the Postmaster General advised that oversight procedures had been established to address all of the recommendations.
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| United States Postal Service | To strengthen oversight of the NCOA program, the Postmaster General should require the NCOA program office to enforce all provisions of the licensing agreement, including: (1) conducting at least the prescribed minimum number of license audits, currently three per contract year; and (2) suspending or terminating, as appropriate, licensees that fail two consecutive audits or that are determined to be in noncompliance with other terms or conditions of the licensing agreement. (As provided in the agreement, licensees that fail three consecutive audits should be terminated.) |
By letter of May 30, 1996, the Postmaster General advised that procedures had been established to address all of the recommendations.
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| United States Postal Service | The Postmaster General should further restrict the use of NCOA-linked data to create or maintain new-movers lists by explicitly stating it on the acknowledgement form that is signed by customers of NCOA licensees. |
The Postal Service declined to implement the recommendation and restated its objections in a letter dated September 3, 1997 to the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Postal Service. It did not believe that the restriction on the new-movers list on the part of licensees' customers was required by the Privacy Act or could be enforced. GAO believes that the Privacy Act does restrict the use of address data and that the enforceability of restrictions on such use does not present a barrier to notifying customers of licensees that the Privacy Act restricts the use of NCOA data.
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