thepompe@ttrpg.network to Privacy@lemmy.ml · 2 days agoPrinters leave a watermark on each page indicating the exact printer that it came from. Are there any other examples of these privacy violations that aren't common knowledge?message-squaremessage-square138fedilinkarrow-up1382arrow-down13file-text
arrow-up1379arrow-down1message-squarePrinters leave a watermark on each page indicating the exact printer that it came from. Are there any other examples of these privacy violations that aren't common knowledge?thepompe@ttrpg.network to Privacy@lemmy.ml · 2 days agomessage-square138fedilinkfile-text
One thing I’m concerned about is recording equipment leaving identifiable information without us knowing about it.
minus-squaregrandel@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up9arrow-down2·edit-21 day agoIve never noticed this or heard that printers do that. Is this maybe specific to the USA? Edit: TIL, thank you!
minus-squareArdens@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up25·2 days agoIt’s not specific to USA… They do it everywhere - with color-printers. Don’t know if they do it with B/W printers. They claim it’s to track people who try to print money, but if it were, then they wouldn’t really do it on laser printers too… If you print a photo on a regular paper, and then shine an UV-light on it, you can see it. It’s mostly small yellow dots.
minus-squaregrey_maniac@lemmy.calinkfedilinkarrow-up9·1 day agoThere is software you can use that adds all the other dot patterns to essentially anonymize your printer.
minus-squareArdens@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up1·1 day agoI know - but it’s good that you added that to what I wrote. :-)
minus-squareमुक्त@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up6arrow-down1·1 day agoThey use yellow ink for that in colour printers.
minus-squarepirat@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up4·1 day agoI just occured to me that could be the reason for when a color printer wont even let you print, say, pure black text, even though it only has emptied some of the colored ink, but still has plenty of black ink left to do the job…
minus-squareमुक्त@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up1arrow-down1·9 hours agoYou wrote more, much; but left this to inference. I highlighted one bit: yellow.
minus-squarewaldo_was_here@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up5·2 days agoIts called MIC. Or Machine ident. Code , its all around,
Ive never noticed this or heard that printers do that.Is this maybe specific to the USA?Edit: TIL, thank you!
Printer Tracking Dots
It’s not specific to USA… They do it everywhere - with color-printers. Don’t know if they do it with B/W printers.
They claim it’s to track people who try to print money, but if it were, then they wouldn’t really do it on laser printers too…
If you print a photo on a regular paper, and then shine an UV-light on it, you can see it. It’s mostly small yellow dots.
There is software you can use that adds all the other dot patterns to essentially anonymize your printer.
I know - but it’s good that you added that to what I wrote. :-)
They use yellow ink for that in colour printers.
I just occured to me that could be the reason for when a color printer wont even let you print, say, pure black text, even though it only has emptied some of the colored ink, but still has plenty of black ink left to do the job…
Did I not write that?
You wrote more, much; but left this to inference.
I highlighted one bit: yellow.
Its called MIC. Or Machine ident. Code , its all around,