Are postcards considered to have REP?

• A. No
• B. Yes
• C. Only if mailed with a stamp
• D. Only if enclosed in an envelope

Answer: (A)

Reasonable Expectation of Privacy is the idea that a person must expect privacy in a given place or thing, and that society must recognize that expectation as reasonable. Postcards don’t meet that standard because they’re designed to be read by anyone who handles them in the mail system. The message on a postcard is visible on the surface, not tucked away in a sealed container, so the contents aren’t protected by a strong privacy interest. Postal workers and others along the delivery chain routinely handle and can read postcards, which means the sender’s expectation of privacy in the message itself isn’t reasonable. Therefore, postcards are not considered to have REP. The privacy level would be greater if the item were enclosed in an envelope, but even then, privacy isn’t absolute; the defining point here is the openly readable nature of a postcard.