Is Your Printer Spying on You? A Review of HP Color Printer Laser Jet CM 3350...
Did you know that many printers actually print an almost invisible pattern of yellow dots on the page...and that the dots are actually a code that can be used by the government to track which computer printed the document?
From the review:
GCN LAB REVIEW
PROS: Fast print times; great graphics.
CONS: Slightly yellow spots appear on all text documents.
HP Color LaserJet CM3530
Our biggest problem with the CM3530 is that “invisible” dots used to track users’ documents are clearly visible on all text printouts. We found the dots accidentally while using a 2x magnifying glass, which is not as strong as some prescription eyeglass lenses, when examining output for text quality. Every page is covered in yellow dots. Once you’re aware of them, it’s easy to spot them without magnification
We did a quick Internet search and learned that the dots are part of a government program to track documents — and, presumably, counterfeit money — back to the originators. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which was the first to discover the spots, figured out how to read the codes. For an explanation of the program and how to read the secret codes, go to w2.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor.
Read more at:
http://axiomamuse.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/gnc-lab-review-hp...
The Electronic Frontier Foundation's page on the "yellow dots":
http://www.eff.org/issues/printers
This is OLD news. The dots
This is OLD news. The dots can still appear on your pages as long as you have a color printer and there is a yellow ink cartridge installed -- even if you are just making a black and white print.
Get a DOT-Matrix printer if you are concerned ;-)
So how does this work if you have a black ink only printer?
Yes, I know, microdots are printed by all printers.
Unless of course you manage to salvage or still have handy an old dot matrix or daisy wheel variety. (I think they still make them as well)
They also can't trace a specific serial number of typewriter, though they can trace the model # due to lettering artifacts. (however, change out the letter bars and you can fool them there too)
Hmm...don't know, but the
Hmm...don't know, but the second link in my post does give a list of printers which do not print the yellow dots.
I apologize for not knowing; this is all new to me as of this morning. I find it credible because I have done research on other issues using EFF's website and I believe what they post.
Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson
Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietam servitutem. ("I prefer the tumult of liberty to the quiet of servitude"). Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 30 January 1787.
If it new to you then it is NEW news :)
The news that steganography is used to track all sorts of things (as well as communicate secretly) is very old news-the fact that it is being done on our printers is about as old as the printers themselves. Typewriters, photocopiers and many other gizmos have and are incorporating all sorts of tech to to track them and their products.
RFID on item level products, in our clothing, documents and more is a great example of tech tagging and tracking things.
Total Information Awareness was shot down as a program but the goal of that program has not changed one iota.
Peace to all of us Scrutinees,
AxXiom