Reduced risk of violation of secrecy of correspondence at temporary storage locations of Dutch mail company PostNL

After examining temporary storage locations of Dutch mail company PostNL, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) sees room for improvement in safeguarding the secrecy of correspondence at these locations.

The risk of something happening to people’s mail at temporary storage locations of PostNL because unauthorized individuals obtain access thereto has decreased in the last two years. That is the conclusion of ACM after examining more than a hundred of these locations. Using several criteria, ACM assessed whether temporary storage locations of PostNL are sufficiently secure to store mail. For example, PostNL must ensure that locations can be locked up or that mail satchels are supervised. These requirements were drawn up following irregularities detected in 2011 at PostNL’s retail locations.

Limited number of irregularities

However, ACM did find a number of serious faults at five locations. In three cases, the facilities at these locations were not or not sufficiently locked up, which would have allowed unauthorized individuals to gain access to mail satchels with addressed mail. In two cases, ACM found unattended mail satchels with addressed mail outside. Henk Don, Member of the Board of ACM, reacts: ‘Security of mail at PostNL locations is improving. However, there is still a lot to be done.’ Because of the limited number of detected irregularities, ACM has not imposed any fines on PostNL.

Secrecy of correspondence

When delivering mail from sender to addressee, Dutch mail companies must ensure that they can do that in a secure way. This is mandated by the statutory secrecy of correspondence. Consumers can file their complaints about mail delivery with ConsuWijzer by visiting www.consuwijzer.nl . These complaints will then be forwarded directly to ACM.