USPS admits it IS spying on Americans: Law enforcement arm is snooping on social media posts and 'working with other agencies' in covert operation - but won't reveal details

Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale briefed lawmakers on the Oversight Committee Wednesday where he admitted to the USPS legal arm spying on Americans' social media

• Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale briefed lawmakers on the Oversight Committee Wednesday
• He admitted to the USPS legal arm is spying on Americans' social media posts
• A government bulletin says the Internet Covert Operations Program analyzes social media for 'inflammatory' posts like messages about planned protests
• The bulletin includes screenshots of posts, with identifying information, from Facebook, Parler, Telegram and other social media sites about protests

The U.S. Postal Service admitted during a Wednesday meeting to spying on citizens with its law enforcement arm, claiming it worked with other agencies to track Americans' social media posts.

Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale briefed lawmakers on the Oversight Committee regarding the program known as iCOP, or Internet Covert Operations Program, but could not provide a date for when it was initiated.

'The Chief Postal Inspector was wildly unprepared for this briefing,' GOP Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina told DailyMail.com following the meeting with Barksdale.

The inspector was called for a briefing after iCOP was first made public in a report last week.

Yahoo obtained and published documents related to iCOP, which includes an operation where analysts page through social media sites to look for 'inflammatory' posts, including messages about planned protests.


Mace said Barksdale revealed the program has not led to any arrests thought it's still unclear how long it has been operating.

'Analysts with the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) monitored significant activity regarding planned protests occurring internationally and domestically on March 20, 2021,' a March 16 government bulletin, marked as 'law enforcement sensitive', reads.

The bulletin focuses on a March 20 protest, the World Wide Rally for Freedom and Democracy which demonstrated against COVID lockdowns.

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In a government bulletin, distributed through the DHS's fusion centers, it details that the Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) analyzes social media sites for 'inflammatory' posts, including messages about planned protests...

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