thepompe@ttrpg.network to Privacy@lemmy.ml · 1 month 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-square144fedilinkarrow-up1411file-text
arrow-up1411message-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 · 1 month agomessage-square144fedilinkfile-text
One thing I’m concerned about is recording equipment leaving identifiable information without us knowing about it.
minus-squaregrandel@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up10·edit-21 month 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-up26·1 month 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-up11·1 month agoThere is software you can use that adds all the other dot patterns to essentially anonymize your printer.
minus-squareArdens@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up2·1 month agoI know - but it’s good that you added that to what I wrote. :-)
minus-squareमुक्त@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkarrow-up6·1 month agoThey use yellow ink for that in colour printers.
minus-squarepirat@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up5·1 month 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-up1·1 month agoYou wrote more, much; but left this to inference. I highlighted one bit: yellow.
minus-squarewaldo_was_here@piefed.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up6·edit-229 days agodeleted by creator
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.
deleted by creator