The Postal Service surveilled protests in 2020 and 2021, specifically ones that were pro-gun and against President Joe Biden, a new report alleges.
The report from the Washington Times cites redacted documents obtained by Patrick Eddington, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, from September 2020 to April 2021 that allegedly show postal inspectors tracking protests in various locations across the country.
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The service reportedly monitored a number of protests through its social media surveillance program, the Internet Covert Operations Program.
A document shows the various bulletins posted using intelligence obtained through the program warning of protests and keeping tabs on any plans for protesting.
The various bulletins make note of several protests and planned protests, even warning about the shutdown of Parler in January 2021, saying it “will very likely inhibit efforts to plan a coordinated protest” similar to the events of Jan. 6. The bulletins also note events posted on a “conservative forum” and other areas of the internet.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Postal Service for comment.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service occasionally reviews publicly available information in order to assess potential safety or security threats to Postal Service employees, facilities, operations and infrastructure,” the service said in a statement to the Washington Times.
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The surveillance program first came to light after a report in 2021 that stated the service tracked social media posts.
