1. The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been accused of sharing customer postal addresses with tech giants Meta (Facebook), LinkedIn, and Snap (Snapchat) without the consent of those customers. This revelation came to light through a recent investigation by the House Oversight Committee, which uncovered the USPS's practice of sharing this sensitive data with these companies.
2. The USPS defended its actions, stating that the data-sharing was done as part of a program called the "Informed Visibility" initiative, which aimed to provide businesses with more accurate mailing information. However, many privacy advocates and lawmakers have criticized this practice, arguing that it represents a significant breach of trust and a violation of customer privacy.
3. The House Oversight Committee has vowed to continue investigating this issue and hold the USPS accountable for its actions. Lawmakers have also called for stricter regulations and oversight to prevent government agencies from engaging in similar data-sharing practices without the explicit consent of the affected individuals.