. . . but I don’t feel like a criminal

There’s something about “you” in the Privacy Act.

We all understand that the Privacy Act is an important law that protects an individual’s personal information. Failing to follow its requirements can expose the Postal Service to significant legal liability and harm our reputation. BUT, did you know that individual Postal Service employees can also be held criminally liable under the Privacy Act?

The Privacy Act provides that any officer or employee who willfully discloses Privacy Act protected information or improperly maintains a system of records containing that information can be found guilty of a misdemeanor and fined up to $5,000. In other words, if you know your actions are improper under the Privacy Act, and you proceed anyway, you’re committing a criminal offense.

Using proper procedures when handling personal information protects the Postal Service — and keeps YOU from inadvertently becoming a criminal.

And that’s smart business.