OIG seeks contractor to teach it how to spy on social media

postal 3 Comments

The USPS Office of Inspector General has issued a request for proposals from contractors who could “prepare Agents to conduct successful Internet Reconnaissance”. The RFP specifically notes that it needs to spy on social media sites “covertly with no attribution back to the OIG”.

From the RFP:

The Supplier shall provide training on the methods to identify the target individual/organization’s social media and Internet footprint. The training must, at a minimum, include the following items:

  • All social networks, person search, dating websites, user names search, phone search, public record, court record, website download
  • Locating targets and developing the methods necessary to attack those targets successfully (Via Social Media/Internet)
  • Only reconnaissance techniques that are legal and within agency policies/USAO guidance should be presented/discussed
  • Must been done [sic] covertly with no attribution back to the OIG

The RFP includes a list of services to be targeted:

  • TLO / LexusNexus/Accurint
  • Facebook/ LinkedIn / Google+/Twitter/Instagram / YouTube / MySpace / LinkedIn YouTube / Classmates
  • Picasa / Flickr/Vimeo / Pinterest/ Google Image Recognition /TinEye
  • Online Sales & Services – eBay / CraigsList / Amazon

The OIG also wants its agents to learn about online public records dealing with divorce and bankruptcy cases, and the software and services available to record and download information it finds useful.

Click here for the complete RFP package.

  • E.A. Ess

    That’s so intrusive and a big “nunya!” Why would they need this information?

  • Not trying to privatize either

    Looks like they want a way to spy on employees under a veil of innocense. This has nothing to do with homelands security. And why are they so concerned about doing it so sneakily?

  • Corruption

    Good plan to coerce, black male , suppress unionism and whistle blowers etc.Not to mention fire people and replace with low pay , low/ no benefit part timers. If they want you gone they will claim you violated the govt code of ethics, your income doesn’t support your lifestyle so you’re a thief, whatever it takes to fire or put the squeeze on you. Better not call out sick and tell “anyone” your whereabouts like people do on Facebook or other social media sites and certainly don’t use your credit card to buy gas or get a hotel room since they’re tracking your financials. I guess they will say they obtained their information from an anonymous individual .