Is your printer spying on you?

[michaelc80]

Sound like the stuff urban legends are made of. If you didn't know it, some printers encode their own serial number, date and time the page was printed into each page. The link describes how the information is encoded and deciphered.

EFF Article

 

[brianl703]

Apparently, color copiers do that too.

I know a copier repair tech who told me about that a couple years ago.

 

[michaelc80]

quote:

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Originally posted by brianl703:
Apparently, color copiers do that too.

I know a copier repair tech who told me about that a couple years ago.

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Interesting. I didn't know that either. You know that feeling that you're being watched....

 

[Dan4510]

Has anyone read Orwell's "1984", it just happened 20 years later.

Dan

 

[Kestas]

After reading this thread I immediately took some color printed pages to our lab. Sure enough, under high magnification I saw yellow dots in a grid-like pattern all over the page.

This explains why I usually run out of yellow first on my printer. My friends thought I was printing too many flesh-colored pictures!!

 

[moribundman]

There are so many ways around that, like buying your printer anonymously, it's not worth discussing.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by moribundman:
There are so many ways around that, like buying your printer anonymously, it's not worth discussing.

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It is worth discussing for the benfit of those who didn't know it was being done.

 

[kloppilt]

The problem with this is not that THEY will find you based on the printouts. It's that they will verify it was you once they find you.

 

[Gary Allan]

Hmm ...looks like there's a need for a printer crack/hack program that will randomize the signature of the printer. It's probably in a form of firmware ...

The ideal setup would use known DOD, NSA, CIA patterns that would lead the investigators back to themselves.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Allan:
Hmm ...looks like there's a need for a printer crack/hack program that will randomize the signature of the printer. It's probably in a form of firmware ...

The ideal setup would use known DOD, NSA, CIA patterns that would lead the investigators back to themselves.

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I lack you level of suaveness.

I was thinking more along the lines of printing some obscenity with the yellow dots.

 

[moribundman]

quote:

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It is worth discussing for the benfit of those who didn't know it was being done.

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Tell people about the privacy issues involved in using a credit card for purchasing anything from gas to Tampax.

I'm not saying we should ignore when new infringement on our privacy occurs, but I'm rather cynical regarding the outrage at one particular issue, and a minor one like those printers.

For example, I find it hard to accept that there is virtually no bank secrecy in the US. Anybody can check into your money affairs. I don't hear anybody complain about that.

 

[kenw]

now, now, then, where's the fun in getting bent over a REAL issue?

 

[Gary Allan]

quote:

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I lack you level of suaveness.

I was thinking more along the lines of printing some obscenity with the yellow dots.

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It's always a coin flip between counter attack and comical chaos in these matters. Either can provide as much personal satisfaction

quote:

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now, now, then, where's the fun in getting bent over a REAL issue?

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Zactly!! We're just seeking comfort where it presents itself ...whining the whines..errr fighting the fights that can be won.

 

[Matt_S]

Getting back on track a little bit, there are only a few companies that actually make laser printer engines. I can't name names, unfortunately (not that I don't want to), but it means that most laser printers, including color lasers, are going to be based off a limited number of printing engines. It might be worth the time to see if all the printers doing this are based off the same engine, or engines from the same company. That could help lead back to the reason why they started doing this in the first place.

I agree, BTW, that this is pretty scary. Being tracked by my printouts isn't my idea of privacy.

 

[kenw]

it was originally conceived as an anti-counterfeiting plan. The gov't never "required" it iirc, but the idea was tossed around more than a little bit. It was thought by the makers that it COULD become a requirement for gov't contracts, so the technology was developed.

personally i don't print things that would cause someone to want to find me. And if I do, why not stand up for what I believe? Must not be much of an issue if you need to hide behind some imagined rights.

Printing anything is so arcane. even so, a few greenbacks (cash? remember that?) and Kinkos will print any subversive rag you bring to them. It's only traceable to their printer.

 

[ikeepmychevytoo]

Before the George Orwell ther was the Sherlock Holmes and a typewriter with a nick on the letter "a" could spy on you.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by kenw:

personally i don't print things that would cause someone to want to find me. And if I do, why not stand up for what I believe? Must not be much of an issue if you need to hide behind some imagined rights.

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Thanks for fullfiling my prophecy

Not everyone lives in a country where it is relatively safe to print what you want. There are countries in this world where you can end up in jail or worse for printing something the powers that be don't like. For printer companies to put this spy feature out there and not warn people is irresponsible.

 

[kenw]

"There are countries in this world where you can end up in jail or worse for printing something the powers that be don't like."

exactly. so if you're so adamant about your cause, is jail going to deter you?

True believers aren't worried about rights. They'll practice their beliefs regardless of the consequences. It's the knid of faith I want to have. I wish I had more and more people had even some of it.

 

[XS650]

quote:

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Originally posted by kenw:
"There are countries in this world where you can end up in jail or worse for printing something the powers that be don't like."

exactly. so if you're so adamant about your cause, is jail going to deter you?

True believers aren't worried about rights. They'll practice their beliefs regardless of the consequences. It's the knid of faith I want to have. I wish I had more and more people had even some of it.

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Ir sould be their choice, not the choice of some kiss-arse printer company that doesn't have the guts to tell their customers that they are blowing the whistle on them.

 

[ALS]

Couldn't you just make a black and white copy of a letter you wanted to send on a Kinko's copier.
The yellow dots would not transfer to the copy.
Gee whiz guys am I the only one on the board that thinks like a criminal.