>>>Secret
Code in Color Printers Lets Government Track You
Tiny Dots Show
Where and When You Made Your Print
San Francisco - A
research team led by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently broke
the code behind tiny tracking dots that some color laser printers secretly
hide in every document.
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. However, the nature of the private information encoded in
each document was not previously known.
"We've found that
the dots from at least one line of printers encode the date and time your
document was printed, as well as the serial number of the printer," said EFF
Staff Technologist Seth David Schoen.>>>
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I read the
article. I read it again. My problem with the piece and your post is this:
The headline says these nefarious tiny dots can show where and when you made
the print. That would require a GPS system or some sort of radio magic
satellite uplink, would it not? The title of the piece is misleading. The
dots might show a date or a printer serial number and model, but probably
not the location of the printer. And I might ask how will the government's
knowledge of that info impact decent folks like Bob and you and the rest of
the list?
To put it in
layman's terms, So Freaking What?
I am not sure that
the required technology (to know our exact printer location, that is) is
built into every printer on the market or will it be included. As I read the
article, "They" know where I was when I made a print. I doubt this is true,
but I have not looked at my printer or the PCB and the components. I am
sure, however, that my three-year-old laser jet contains a tiny video
recorder and sat uplink because that would explain why I am being followed.
I am certain it is "them." I would not put it past the gubberment to want to
know all about me.
The article says,
"We've found that the dots from at least one line of printers encode the
date and time your document was printed, as well as the serial number of the
printer," said EFF Staff Technologist Seth David Schoen." My God man... the
next thing they will track is what fonts you use and their size.
I have loads of
printers and if the government wants to know that Bob Maxey printed three
pages at seven oh four AM, I say, let them have at it. From now on, I will
buy my printers off the back of a Ford PU truck and no way will I register
it so they will know.
The article says,
"Underground democracy movements that produce political or religious
pamphlets and flyers, like the Russian samizdat of the 1980s, will always
need the anonymity of simple paper documents, but this technology makes it
easier for governments to find dissenters," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney
Lee Tien. "Even worse, it shows how the government and private industry make
backroom deals to weaken our privacy by compromising everyday equipment like
printers. The logical next question is: what other deals have been or are
being made to ensure that our technology rats on us?"
Fact is, these
markings (if they exist) were hinted at some time ago. I was as frightened
then, as I am now. So the phrase "backroom deals" is rather misleading. Hey
EFF get a clue: You ain't smart enough to know of every nefarious deal
"they" make with "them" to get "us." You know, us gun loving, right wing
republican conservatives. The government might be after a few of us, but not
without cause. And a warrant. If anyone thinks this is a big deal, they
should reconsider their meds and look into a MRI or twelve.
If you read
articles (one of them) at the end of the links, you will note that the
writer says the marks are there, but he goes on to say we do not actually
know what these dots might mean in all cases. They say that they have
confirmed this and that, or they might be markings signifying nothing. They
attribute some of the dots they see to (perhaps) poor dithering. I am not
saying they do not exist because they do. What bothers me is how much is
being made of nothing.
What we think we
know for sure but are not sure we actually know is this: your printer talks
to the government using some sort of GPS location device slash radio. The
printer tells them that from this printer model, some stuff was printed on
such and such a date. The EFF suggest that they do not know for sure, but
they are on the case.
The bottom line is
this: the vast majority of us have little to fear unless we are
troublemakers representing a possible threat. If some folks are bad, they
will know about these dots and take steps to deal with the "problem." The
Government will not abuse the technology as much as we fear regardless of
the hype powered BS we read about on the WWW. And if they wanted you, you
would already be in custody.
Bob
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