>>>The real question here is how does the US government get private
We do not know and unless someone tells us, we will never know. But do we need to know? Do we need to care? Is this issue a big issue? My research indicates that the dots yield a printer serial number and perhaps a date. What does this actually mean?
Does knowing that this printer or that printer puts dots on the page containing serial numbers and other data really affect us? Does it affect our privacy? We seem to forget that if the government wants to know about a printer, the manufacturer has warranty records that will give them a street address? Or the manufacturer likely files all test documents (if there are test documents) produced at the factory so a match can be made without paying you a visit. Or that the documents the Gubberment will investigate are worthy of investigation for a serious and valid reason.
They do not care about Bob, the arse entering your in-box.
Say, what about black and white printers? No yellow dots.
Or perhaps that the bad guys, if concerned, will find a way around those pesky little dots? Or that million of documents are printed every day and if the government wants to investigate a dotted document, the chances are they have a bloody good reason to do so. If it is your document, you perhaps deserve investigation?
Tracking a printer is not a problem for most of us. I am not convinced this is a serious problem we should be the least bit concerned about. I am concerned that a fairly inaccurate article on the EFF web site is taken so seriously by the presumably intelligent group gathered here. The article said the government could track our location and that is BS. The article also said some of the dots they have identified might be printer anomalies or problems with the printer.
Get back to me when federal regulations mandate a GPS system in every printer.
Lots of devices can be tracked. But they are wired and programmed in a way that makes it easy to obtain all sorts of information.
Printer dots seem to be quite iffy if the government wants a reliable way to track someone. All they would have is a document presumably printed by so and so, but no proof. There are better ways. We focus on printer dots yet we forget the other ways we can be "tracked." If they want to find us; chances are, they will not rely upon dots.
You are also assuming that some conspiracy actually exists; designed by the government and supported by the manufacturer. You hint at pressure exerted by the government, but there is no evidence that has happened. Yet. Except in a few cases that make sense. I am certain that Adobe and the scanner manufacturers that have removed the ability to scan currency did so because of some measure of government pressure and because it is the right thing to do. Someone posted on the list his efforts to scan a dollar bill. I am not sure if the thinking was some sort of conspiracy.
The fact is, (was at one time) it is illegal to scan currency. By the way, there are likely ways to scan currency if you are in the mood. Perhaps one needs to first remove the little strip on every new bill? You know, the strip that watches you at night without your knowledge?
No, I cannot make that bet. Then again, I do not know. I feel certain MS and the government has certain arrangements that we are not privy to. It might make sense given how much email and the web could be used for doing bad things. Most certainly and without question, their software has holes that could be exploited. We do not know what they are, however. We also do not know if the government has taken advantage of the holes, either. We are far too busy worrying about who checked Tom Sawyer out of the library.
What I think often happens is the public sees something on TV or in a movie and starts thinking something can happen to them, and their use of devices in their home, by a sneaky government black agency. Just mentioning tracking and hidden printer dots gives rise to some measure of concern by a public that largely will not be affected. Then they search the web and find plenty of silly sites "confirming" their worse suspicions: "They are watching us."
I am also sure that the government has other measures and tools in place that we will likely never hear about. And we should not know about some of these security measures.
>>>Some of these security holes may be used to snoop on "terrorists", but
Actually, it is a mixture of pseudo fact, innuendo, supposition, leading conclusions, big stretches, and half-baked conspiracy theories. You ABSOLUTELY do not know to what extent these tools have been used and to what end. Neither do I.
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