Laser printouts contain secret codes

[El Salsero Gringo]

Probably everyone knows by now (or should know) that their location can be tracked by the mobile phone in their pocket, as long as it's switched on.

Did anyone else read the story this week that colour laser printers and copiers embed codes into every sheet they print so that 'the Authorities' can track photocopies of official documents, bank notes, or materials they otherwise disapprove of back to the machine that printed them?

More details are here:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118664,00.asp

and here:
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/wp.php

(yes, I know, if I've nothing to hide then why should I care yada yada yada...)

[RogerR]

Also in sensitive places EACH printer has a diferent driver so that the trail of a printed document can be traced.

But think of the number of laser printed sheets daily how many secret service people would be required to check them all?? It used to be said that a canon laser copier for the UK market would not copy UK notes and one for the US market not copy US bills

See if the same doc searches under "interception capabilities" a 20+ page doc for the EU was hosted on a dotbe site I think.

[ducasi]

... It used to be said that a canon laser copier for the UK market would not copy UK notes and one for the US market not copy US bills ...

Used to be said?

There is now an internationally agreed pattern that you'll find in the design of newer bank notes that tells printers not to print them, and programs like Photoshop not to allow manipulating them.

It looks like a wee constellation of 5 stars, dots, notes or similar.

Here's more info...

[Andy McGregor]

But think of the number of laser printed sheets daily how many secret service people would be required to check them all?? It used to be said that a canon laser copier for the UK market would not copy UK notes and one for the US market not copy US bills

A while ago I bought a Canon Colour Lazer copier and, as I'd heard this, and, for research purposes only, I tried to copy a £20 note - the copier wouldn't do it, it just printed out a very dark green image. Some time later a friend was visiting me at work and I told him about this and demonstrated it - the copier had been left on the enlarge function and I got a perfect A3 sized copy of a tenner! Which, of couse, I put straight through the shredder

[bigdjiver]

Since the manufacturer usually writes the printer driver which runs on the PC the potential exists for the printer to be used to steal and print information from the host machine. This could be used to identify the user of the machine even if the user has not filled in a form. If the software writers are so in bed with the security, or perhaps a criminal organisation, software could be used to transmit this information online using data hiding techniques so that the user would never know. In the name of fighting terrorism or rogue governments things could move this way.

Anyone want to buy my old dot matrix?

[stewart38]

Probably everyone knows by now (or should know) that their location can be tracked by the mobile phone in their pocket, as long as it's switched on.

Did anyone else read the story this week that colour laser printers and copiers embed codes into every sheet they print so that 'the Authorities' can track photocopies of official documents, bank notes, or materials they otherwise disapprove of back to the machine that printed them?

More details are here:
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118664,00.asp

and here:
http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/wp.php

(yes, I know, if I've nothing to hide then why should I care yada yada yada...)

wasnt Tesco going to have facility where they could locate every single can they sold ? But pulled out. They can already do it for 'batches'