Secret Code in Color Printers

This is a relatively old article, something I was already aware of. But, the article is a good reminder about how the government has influenced common goods manufacturers such that our privacy is yet again compromised and eroded.

In essence, printer manufacturers have been adding secret codes to every printed page on their color laser models. This is, supposedly, to help track counterfeiters who use the laser printers to produce fake currency. The codes are made up of tiny (millimeter or less diameter) yellow dots which in some cases even reveal the serial number of the printer unit. It takes a blue light and a magnifying glass to even see the dots.

http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2005/10/16

If you haven't heard of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), it's an organization that is one of the few advocates for privacy issues as it relates to new technology. The EFF, in this case, were the ones that called out the printer manufacturers and the government agencies (the US Secret Service) responsible for this coverup.

I can somewhat see why the Secret Service asked (pressured?) manufacturers into including the hidden dots (to help foil counterfeiting circles). However, the biggest frustration would be the coverup and non-disclosure about the product feature. Quoting 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." In my mind, that's the real concern here.

Besides, real counterfeit operations are no doubt already aware of the problem and likely are using techniques that produce their wares without a common off-the-shelf laser printer. It's likely only the first timer counterfeiters, not the larger more organized ones, that would be caught by the technique.