HOLY CRAP! This is true!!!

[StlSluggers]

Is Your Printer Spying on You?
--------------------------------

A reader recently asked me this intriguing question about laser
printers and personal privacy: "I've heard that some printers embed
a secret coded dot pattern on each printed page, and that if you
decode the dots, you can determine the owner of the printer and the
exact time the page was printed. That sounds like a privacy
violation -- is it true?"

This one has all the markings of a silly urban legend, but in fact
it's true. Find out what the U.S. government has to do with this,
and learn how to decode the little yellow dots here:

http://www.askbobrankin.com/is_your_pri ... n_you.html

Found another link here.

Picture of the dots:



Google search on this topic.

[Pogotheostrich]

*StlSluggers runs to burn his manifesto*

[StlSluggers]

*StlSluggers runs to burn his manifesto*

Nah. Kinko's prints at midnight with no questions asked.

[wrveres]

Hmm ... I thought this was a known fact for years ...
while I agree it might be a slight invasion of privacy, but why be concerned if you aren't doing anything illegal?

[PlayingWithFire]

Still think that the google thing is worse

[StlSluggers]

I'd obviously never heard of this until now. Has this been on the news or something?

[Coppermine]

Yeah, this info has been public knowledge for a long time.

Basically, the printer writes an invicible code that law enforcement can use to track down the origin of paper that a printer was used on to create counterfeit money. (I think this technology has also been used on CSI a few times).

It recently was in the news because some sort of watchdog nerd group has "cracked" the code to determine the printer it came from, but it's really not an invasion of privacy since it's only used to track down counterfeiters.

I really don't see how this can adversely affect anyone though... so someone knows that the email you printed out from your girlfriend was printed on an HP ColorJet 650... who cares? It doesn't include any personal info.

[Madison]

Well I didn't know about that. Not worried about it, but didn't know it before now. Interesting fact.

[acsguitar]

Hmmm interesting... I don't have a printer. Cartridges are too expensive.... I actually have heard people buy printers with cartridge packed in with it for like 50 bucks. And then sell the printer for like the same price and buy a printer/cartridge again then repeat. This is cause the cartridges are too expensive

[go_jays_go]

Still think that the google thing is worse

What's the google thing?