4 ms·

This could all be deflection. All name-brand printers (in the US at least and probably everywhere) watermark printed pages with yellow dots that identify the pr

This could all be deflection. All name-brand printers (in the US at least and probably everywhere) watermark printed pages with yellow dots that identify the printer serial number. If the printer is purchased with a credit card and the SN is scanned, there is a perfect trail from your printed page to the person who bought it. I suspect if that method was used they still may want to claim these other fingerprinting methods to avoid spreading the word about printers.

abakker 5y ago
Got a source for this claim? Edit: Specifically, what about printers that only print black and white?
- shirleyquirk 5y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code but idk about how many printers do this or whether similar techniques are used for black+white printers (i.e. gray-scale modulation)
- k1t 5y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/10/16 https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/10/16 The implication is that only color printers are affected. "The U.S. Secret Service admitted that the tracking information is part of a deal struck with selected color laser printer manufacturers, ostensibly to identify counterfeiters."
  - macksd 5y ago
    People are really using consumer printers in counterfeiting?
    - bragr 5y ago
      No because most will refuse to print anything with the EURion constellation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation
      - badwolf 5y ago
        Huh. Fascinating.
        joering2 5y ago
        Same with photoshop. Try to open this in PS: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Obverse_of_the_series_2009_%24100_Federal_Reserve_Note.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Obverse_...
    - bombcar 5y ago
      People will try anything, and I suspect more "counterfeiting" is prevented by the EURion constellation than we'd expect. Probably just idiots playing around with the copier rather than dedicated gangs, but if it worked they might be tempted to say "Well ..." https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1s8rl9/if_you_try_to_photocopy_a_50_bill_it_prints_a/ https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1s8rl9/i...
      - Ferrotin 5y ago
        This at least massively reduces anti-counterfeiters’ caseload.
        bombcar 5y ago
        IIRC some of the very early dollar bill acceptors on vending machines were perfectly happy with a black and white photocopy.
- loopback_device 5y ago
  It is quite well known these days, check the EFF [1] and Wikipedia [2] pages, there's info on the what, how, when and why [1] https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-d... [2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code
reset-password 5y ago
One other way this trail can be made is simply by installing the drivers. For example I noticed that when you complete the driver installation for a Brother color laser printer, the installer opens the default browser and navigates to brother.com/something/SERIAL_NO_OF_PRINTER. I am assuming that on the other end they're capturing the IP, fingerprinting the browser, and logging it all forever.
- joering2 5y ago
  Brother is same level evil as Canon. I was proud to learn even my new Xerox Phaser 8550 is not fingerprinting paper. https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots#xerox https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-d...
not2b 5y ago
Color printers must do this; black-and-white printers do not (and cannot, there's no yellow ink).

abakker 5y ago

Got a source for this claim? Edit: Specifically, what about printers that only print black and white?

shirleyquirk 5y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code but idk about how many printers do this or whether similar techniques are used for black+white printers (i.e. gray-scale modulation)
k1t 5y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/10/16 https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/10/16 The implication is that only color printers are affected. "The U.S. Secret Service admitted that the tracking information is part of a deal struck with selected color laser printer manufacturers, ostensibly to identify counterfeiters."
- macksd 5y ago
  People are really using consumer printers in counterfeiting?
  - bragr 5y ago
    No because most will refuse to print anything with the EURion constellation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/EURion_constellation
    - badwolf 5y ago
      Huh. Fascinating.
      - joering2 5y ago
        Same with photoshop. Try to open this in PS: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Obverse_of_the_series_2009_%24100_Federal_Reserve_Note.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Obverse_...
  - bombcar 5y ago
    People will try anything, and I suspect more "counterfeiting" is prevented by the EURion constellation than we'd expect. Probably just idiots playing around with the copier rather than dedicated gangs, but if it worked they might be tempted to say "Well ..." https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1s8rl9/if_you_try_to_photocopy_a_50_bill_it_prints_a/ https://old.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/1s8rl9/i...
    - Ferrotin 5y ago
      This at least massively reduces anti-counterfeiters’ caseload.
      - bombcar 5y ago
        IIRC some of the very early dollar bill acceptors on vending machines were perfectly happy with a black and white photocopy.
loopback_device 5y ago
It is quite well known these days, check the EFF [1] and Wikipedia [2] pages, there's info on the what, how, when and why [1] https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-d... [2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code

reset-password 5y ago

One other way this trail can be made is simply by installing the drivers. For example I noticed that when you complete the driver installation for a Brother color laser printer, the installer opens the default browser and navigates to brother.com/something/SERIAL_NO_OF_PRINTER. I am assuming that on the other end they're capturing the IP, fingerprinting the browser, and logging it all forever.

joering2 5y ago
Brother is same level evil as Canon. I was proud to learn even my new Xerox Phaser 8550 is not fingerprinting paper. https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots#xerox https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-d...

not2b 5y ago

Color printers must do this; black-and-white printers do not (and cannot, there's no yellow ink).