4 ms·

It's likely any tracking mechanism would be implemented inside the hardware, not as part of drivers.

• rjmunro 9y ago
  It would be in the firmware. It should be possible to hack a printer with open source firmware. You could even make a printer with open source hardware - something like this, but higher resolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX09WnGU6ZY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX09WnGU6ZY, or think http://reprap.org/ http://reprap.org/ - home made 3d printers made only from commonly available and 3d printed parts.
  • aaronmdjones 9y ago
    > It should be possible to hack a printer with open source firmware. You'd think so. After all, Stallman created FSF in part because of his frustrations with a printer! > In 1980, Stallman and some other hackers at the AI Lab were refused access to the source code for the software of a newly installed laser printer, the Xerox 9700. Stallman had modified the software for the Lab's previous laser printer (the XGP, Xerographic Printer), so it electronically messaged a user when the person's job was printed, and would message all logged-in users waiting for print jobs if the printer was jammed. Not being able to add these features to the new printer was a major inconvenience, as the printer was on a different floor from most of the users. This experience convinced Stallman of people's need to be able to freely modify the software they use.
• bo1024 9y ago
  (Disclaimer - I know nothing about actual printers.) Really? I would expect that things like location, IP address, time and date, etc would be the most important privacy threats and would be implemented in software. Although I agree that hardware tracking is still an important issue that open-source drivers wouldn't solve.