AP Interview: USPS Takes Photos of All Mail

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) takes pictures of every piece of mail processed in the United States—160 billion last year—and keeps them on hand for up to a month.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said the photos of the exterior of mail pieces are used primarily for the sorting process, but they are available for law enforcement, if requested.

The images are generally stored for between a week and 30 days and then disposed of, he said. Keeping the images for those periods may be necessary to ensure delivery accuracy, for forwarding mail or making