Tracking Prints from Your Printer

[skip0110]

Yahoo News reports that color printer manufacturers (such as Xerox) are designing their printers to encode the printer serial number within each printed document as a series of little yellow dots interspersed within the document. The federal government is already using this information to track counterfeits. Currently this is only being used in laser printers, to aussage fears that they can easily produce counterfeit bills. A noble cause, indeed. But how would you feel if this technology extended into inkjet printers? Personally, I think this is an invasion of my privacy.

Read other's comments at Slashdot. One reader there noted that appropriately placed yellow dots in the document would confuse this tracking scheme quite nicely. Nevertheless, I'm still pissed. Every printer with this feature should come with a big yellow sticker on it that says "Documents printed on this device are digitally watermaked with it's serial number" or something like that. At least let the consumer know.

 

[CDailey]

It is very much so an invasion of privacy.

 

[cardude2004]

I think it is an invasion of privacy as well. I won't be getting a printer from Xerox. Then again, I didn't even know they made home printers.

 

[skip0110]

The technology is only used in laser printers. Most people have an inkjet at home. And many brands, not just Xerox, do this.

But who's to say as print quality of inkjets goes up we won't be seeing this in them too?

 

[240Z]

I found my printer in a trash can (seriously), so I don't think this applies to me.

 

[RX-7_FC_DrIfteR]

Ink cost enough already, i don't want to have to pay more.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

As long as they don't put personal information on there...

 

[skip0110]

Well, they really could put any information that the printer driver could figure out on there and none of us would be any the wiser.