Printers spying on you

P

PatrickL

Veteran
I you check that link you will find some explanations and a list of printers that EFF found having a strange behaviour and marking what you are printing.
It seems that was asked by the US government and that printers builders made it. The main problem for me is theses marks are also on printers sold out of the US.

[exp] = EFF looked at printer output under a blue light
[mfr] = manufacturer said printer prints tracking codes;
[press] = press report said printer prints tracking codes.
Brother yes
  • HL-4200CN [exp]
Canon yes
  • CLC 1000 [exp]
  • CLC 2400 [exp]
  • CLC 4000 [exp]
  • Color imageRUNNER C3100CN [exp]
  • Color imageRUNNER C3200 [exp]
  • Color imageRUNNER C3220 [exp]
Dell yes
  • 3000cn [exp]
  • 3100cn [exp]
  • 5100cn [exp]
Epson AcuLaser yes
  • C900 [exp]
  • C1100 [exp]
  • C1100 [press]
  • C1500 [exp]
  • C1900 [exp]
HP Color LaserJet no
  • 2250ln [exp (??)]
  • 4500 [exp]
  • 4500dn [exp]
  • 4500n [exp]
  • 4550 [exp]
  • 4550n [exp]
  • 5M [exp]
  • 8500 [exp]
  • 8550 [exp]
  • 8550dn [exp]
  • 8550gn [exp]
HP Color LaserJet yes
  • 1500l [exp]
  • 2500 [exp]
  • 2500n [exp]
  • 2550l [exp]
  • 2550n [exp]
  • 2600n [exp]
  • 2680 [exp]
  • 2840 [exp]
  • 3500 [exp]
  • 3500n [exp]
  • 3600dn [exp]
  • 3700 [exp]
  • 3700dn [exp]
  • 3700n [exp]
  • 4600 [exp]
  • 4600dn [exp]
  • 4600hdn [exp]
  • 4600n [exp]
  • 4650 [exp]
  • 4650dn [exp]
  • 4650dtn [exp]
  • 5100cn [exp]
  • 5500 [exp]
  • 5500atn [exp]
  • 5500dn [exp]
  • 5500hdn [exp]
  • 5550 [exp]
  • 5550dtn [exp]
  • 9500 [exp]
  • 9500hdn [exp]
IBM unclear
  • Infoprint Color 1454 [exp] {dithering algorithm?}
Konica/Minolta unclear
  • DialtaColor CF 2001 [exp] {dithering algorithm?}
Konica/Minolta yes
  • Bizhub C350 [exp]
  • CF1501 [exp]
  • Colorforce 8050 [exp]
  • Desklaser 2200 [exp]
  • DialtaColor CF 2001 [exp]
  • Ikon CPP500E [exp]
  • Magicolor 2210 [exp]
  • Magicolor 2300 DL [exp]
  • Magicolor 2430 DL [exp]
  • Magicolor 3300 [exp]
  • Magicolor 7300 [exp]
Kyocera yes
  • FS-C5016N [exp]
Lanier yes
  • LD238C [exp]
  • LP125cx/LP126cn [exp]
Lexmark no
  • C720 [exp (??)]
Lexmark yes
  • C510 [exp]
  • C720 [exp]
  • C912 [exp]
Minolta: see Konica/Minolta Oki/OkiDATA no
  • C5150 [exp]
  • C5150n [exp]
  • C5300 [exp]
  • C7200 [exp]
  • C7350 [exp]
  • C9300 [exp]
Ricoh: see also Savin Ricoh yes
  • Aficio CL 3000 [exp]
  • Aficio CL 6010 [exp]
  • Aficio CL 7000 [exp]
  • AP 206 [exp]
Samsung no
  • CLP-510 [exp]
  • CLP-500 [exp]
  • CLP-550 [exp]
Savin yes
  • C3210 [exp]
  • CLP35 [exp]
Tektronix: see Xerox/Tektronix Toshiba yes
  • eStudio 210c [mfr]
  • eStudio 310c [mfr]
  • eStudio 311c [mfr]
  • eStudio 211c [mfr]
  • eStudio 2100c [mfr]
  • eStudio 3100c [mfr]
  • eStudio 3511 [exp]
  • FC15i [mfr]
  • FC15 [mfr]
  • FC22i [mfr]
  • FC22 [mfr]
  • FC25Pi [mfr]
  • FC25P [mfr]
  • FC70 [mfr]
Xerox yes
  • DocuColor 12 [exp]
  • DocuColor 40 [exp]
  • DocuColor 2045 [exp]
  • DocuColor 2000 [mfr]
  • DocuColor 6060 [mfr]
  • DocuColor 6060 [exp]
  • WorkCentre M24 [exp]
  • WorkCentre Pro all models [press]
  • WorkCenter Pro 40 [exp]
  • WorkCenter Pro C2636 [exp]
Xerox/Tektronix Phaser no
  • 560 [exp]
  • 740 [exp]
  • 750 (Z750V) [exp]
  • 750P [exp]
  • 780 [exp]
  • 850DP [exp]
  • 860DP [exp]
  • 6100 [exp]
  • 6200 [exp]
  • 6200DP [exp]
  • 6250DP [exp]
  • 7700 [exp]
  • 8200DP [exp]
  • 8200DX [exp]
Xerox/Tektronix Phaser unclear
  • 8400B [exp?] {dithering algorithm?}
  • 8400DP [exp]
  • 8440DP [exp?] {dithering algorithm?}
  • 8400DX [exp]
  • 8400N [exp]
Click to expand...
 
If true, this is a step up from the anti-counterfeiting measures some copiers and printers have been saddled with.

It's a boon for CSI types and people who build old-style printing presses.
How this will affect anonymous dissent or harassment probably will depend on the prevailing winds of government administration and how lax these companies are in safeguarding the information pertinent to the algorithms.
 
I wonder how long until the first reports of a major SS raid on some hapless citizen. . .that turns out to be the result of a counterfeiter who is on the more sophisticated side spoofing someone elses serial number?
 
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