Is Your Printer Spying On You? Printers reviews
Source http://www.eff.org/issues/printers |More reviews|

Invisible Watermarks & Dot patterns convey many printer serial numbers, even the time and date the page was printed!

Blue LED array modified scanner making the watermark
easily visible to the naked eye. - bunnie’s blog

While this has a legitimate use for tracking counterfeiters it could also be used to track people disseminating information that someone doesn't like.

Imagine that every time you printed a document, it automatically included a secret code that could be used to identify the printer - and potentially, the person who used it. Sounds like something from an episode of "Alias," right?

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Unfortunately, the scenario isn't fictional. In a purported effort to identify counterfeiters, the US government has succeeded in persuading some color laser printer manufacturers to encode each page with identifying information. That means that without your knowledge or consent, an act you assume is private could become public. A communication tool you're using in everyday life could become a tool for government surveillance. And what's worse, there are no laws to prevent abuse.

This is an image of one repetition of the dot grid from the same Xerox DocuColor 12 page, magnified 10x and photographed by the QX5 microscope under illumination from a Photon blue LED flashlight. Note that the increased contrast under blue light allows us to see the entire dot pattern clearly.

DocuColor image under blue light and magnification

SN Info code

The ACLU recently issued a report revealing that the FBI has amassed more than 1,100 pages of documents on the organization since 2001, as well as documents concerning other non-violent groups, including Greenpeace and United for Peace and Justice. In the current political climate, it's not hard to imagine the government using the ability to determine who may have printed what document for purposes other than identifying counterfeiters.

Yet there are no laws to stop the Secret Service from using printer codes to secretly trace the origin of non-currency documents; only the privacy policy of your printer manufacturer currently protects you (if indeed such a policy exists). And no law regulates what sort of documents the Secret Service or any other domestic or foreign government agency is permitted to request for identification, not to mention how such a forensics tool could be developed and implemented in printers in the first place.

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In fact anyone that can't afford to have their equipment broken or water damaged. |more|

With no laws on the books, there's nothing to stop the privacy violations this technology enables. For this reason, EFF is gathering information about what printers are revealing and how - a necessary precursor to any legal challenge or new legislation to protect your privacy. And we could use your help.

In the preliminary research paper linked below, we explain what we've observed so far, briefly explore the privacy implications, and ask you to print and send us test sheets from your color laser printer and/or a color laser printer at your local print shop. That way, we can watch the watchers and ensure that your privacy isn't compromised in ways that harm your fundamental consitutional rights.

In addition to documenting what printers are revealing, EFF has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, and we will keep you updated on what we discover. In the meantime, we urge you to participate and pass the word along about this research project. Thank you for your support!

List of Printers Which Do or Do Not Display Tracking Dots

Introduction

This is a list in progress of color laser printer models that do or do not print yellow tracking dots on their output.

We are in the process of trying to interpret the information conveyed by these dots as part of our Machine Identification Code Technology Project.

Limitations of this information

A "no" simply means that we couldn't see yellow dots; it does not prove that there is no forensic watermarking present. (For example, the HP Color LaserJET 8500 series does not include any yellow tracking dots that we can see, but it may still include some kind of forensic marking, since the majority of other Color LaserJET models do. Other forensic marking techniques have been invented, and we do not yet know how to determine whether these techniques are used by a particular printer.)

A "yes" simply means that we (or another source, as noted) saw yellow dots that appeared anomalous to us. Until we decipher the marking schemes or receive other confirmation, this does not constitute proof that any particular kind of information is represented by these dots. In a very few cases, for example, they might be the result of a dithering technique, rather than a forensic mark, or they could be the result of a poorly calibrated printer. In most cases, we are confident that the arrangement of dots is intentional and is intended to track users.

Sources of information

This page source can be found at:

We have employed three sources of information. We looked at printer output under a blue light and/or a computer microscope; we consulted press reports about printers (e.g. at Druckerchannel); we relied on printer manuals and other manufacturer statements. We welcome additional statements by manufacturers, resellers, or technicians.

Thanks to our friends at software firms and symphonies, public schools and physics labs, semiconductor fabs and ice cream parlors, in about a dozen countries around the world.

Table of printers

Manufacturer	Model	Dots?	Comments
Brother
	HL-2700CN	yes	volunteer test
	HL-4200CN	yes	EFF test
Canon
	CLC 1000	yes	EFF test
	CLC 2400	yes	EFF test
	CLC 3002	yes	EFF test
	CLC 4000	yes	EFF test
	CLC 5000+	yes	EFF test
	CLC-iR 3200-C1	yes	EFF test
	Color imageRUNNER C2570	yes	EFF test
	Color imageRUNNER C3100CN	yes	EFF test
	Color imageRUNNER C3200	yes	EFF test
	Color imageRUNNER C3200N	yes	EFF test
	Color imageRUNNER C3220	yes	EFF test
	Color Laser Copier 1150	yes	EFF test
	Imageclass MF8170C	yes	EFF test
	LBP 2410	unclear	faint dots; could be artifacts
Dell
	3000CN	yes	EFF test
	3100CN	yes	EFF test
	5100CN	yes	EFF test
Epson
	AcuLaser C900	yes	EFF test
	AcuLaser C1100	yes	EFF test
	AcuLaser C1500	yes	EFF test
	AcuLaser C1900	yes	EFF test
	AcuLaser C3000	yes	EFF test
	AcuLaser C4000	yes	EFF test
Fuji: see Xerox
Hewlett-Packard
	Color LaserJET 1550L	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2250LN	no (??)	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2500	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2500N	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2550	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2550L	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2550N	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2600N	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2680	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 2840	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 3500	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 3550	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 3600DN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 3700	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 3700DN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 3700N	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4500	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4500DN	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4500N	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4550	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4550N	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4600	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4600DN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4600HDN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4600N	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4650	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4650DN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4650DTN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 4700DTN	yes	volunteer test
	Color LaserJET 5M	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5100CN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5500	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5500ATN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5500DN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5500HDN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5550	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5550DN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 5550DTN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 8500	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 8500DN	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 8550	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 8550DN	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 8550GN	no	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 9500	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 9500HDN	yes	EFF test
	Color LaserJET 9500MFP	yes	EFF test
IBM
	Infoprint Color 1454	unclear	dithering?
	Infoprint Color 1464 PS3	yes	dithering?
Konica (Konica/Minolta)
	Bizhub C350	yes	EFF test
	Colorforce 1501	yes	EFF test
	Colorforce 8050	yes	EFF test
	DialtaColor CF 2001	unclear	dithering?
	DialtaColor CF 2002	unclear	dithering?
	Ikon CPP500E	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2 Desklaser	no	EFF test
	Magicolor 2200 DL	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2210	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2300 DL	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2300 W	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2350	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2350 EN	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2400 W	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2430 DL	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 2450	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 3100	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 3300	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 5450	yes	EFF test
	Magicolor 7300	yes	EFF test
Kyocera
	FS-C5016N	yes	EFF test
	FS-C5030N	yes	EFF test
	FS-C8008	yes	EFF test
	Mita KM-C2230	yes	EFF test
Lanier
	LD238C	yes	EFF test
	LP125CX/LP126CN	yes	EFF test
Lexmark
	C510	yes	EFF test
	C720	unclear	retest
	C752	yes	EFF test
	C752N	yes	EFF test
	C760	yes	EFF test
	C910	yes	EFF test
	C912	yes	EFF test
Minolta: see Konica
OkiDATA (Oki)
	C5100	no	EFF test
	C5150	no	EFF test
	C5150N	no	EFF test
	C5200	no	EFF test
	C5300	no	EFF test
	C7200	no	EFF test
	C7350	no	EFF test
	C7400	no	EFF test
	C7400N	no	EFF test
	C9200	no	EFF test
	C9300	no	EFF test
	C9400	no	EFF test
	MIP C5540	no	EFF test
	OkiLAN 8100E	no	EFF test
Panasonic
	Workio KXCL-500	yes	EFF test
Ricoh (see also Savin )
	Aficio 1224C	yes	EFF test
	Aficio 1232C	yes	EFF test
	Aficio CL 2000	yes	press report
	Aficio CL 3000	yes	EFF test
	Aficio CL 3000E	yes	EFF test
	Aficio CL 6010	yes	EFF test
	Aficio CL 7000	yes	EFF test
	AP 206	yes	EFF test
	Infotec/Danka ISC 2838	yes	EFF test
Samsung
	CLP-500	no	EFF test
	CLP-510	no	EFF test
	CLP-550	no	EFF test
	CLP-550N	no	EFF test
Savin
	C3210	yes	EFF test
	CLP35	yes	EFF test
Tektronix: see Xerox
Toshiba
	eStudio 210c	yes	mfr. statement
	eStudio 211c	yes	mfr. statement
	eStudio 310c	yes	mfr. statement
	eStudio 311c	yes	mfr. statement
	eStudio 2100c	yes	mfr. statement
	eStudio 3100c	yes	mfr. statement
	eStudio 3511	yes	EFF test
	FC15	yes	mfr. statement
	FC15i	yes	mfr. statement
	FC22	yes	mfr. statement
	FC22i	yes	mfr. statement
	FC25P	yes	mfr. statement
	FC25Pi	yes	mfr. statement
	FC70	yes	mfr. statement
Xerox (Tektronix)
	DocuColor 12	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 40	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 1521	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 1632	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 2000	yes	mfr. statement
	DocuColor 2045	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 2240	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 3535	yes	EFF test
	DocuColor 6060	yes	EFF test/mfr. statement
	Phaser 560	no	EFF test
	Phaser 740	no	EFF test
	Phaser 750 (Z750V)	no	EFF test
	Phaser 750P	no	EFF test
	Phaser 790	yes	EFF test
	Phaser 850DP	no	EFF test
	Phaser 860DP	no	EFF test
	Phaser 1235	no	EFF test
	Phaser 6100	no	EFF test
	Phaser 6200	no	EFF test
	Phaser 6200DP	no	EFF test
	Phaser 6250DP	no	EFF test
	Phaser 6350DP	no	EFF test
	Phaser 7300DN	no	EFF test
	Phaser 7300DT	no	EFF test
	Phaser 7700	no	EFF test
	Phaser 7750DN	no	EFF test
	Phaser 8200DP	no	EFF test
	Phaser 8200DX	no	EFF test
	Phaser 8400	no	dithering?
	Phaser 8400B	unclear	dithering?
	Phaser 8400DP	unclear	dithering?
	Phaser 8400DX	unclear	dithering?
	Phaser 8400N	unclear	dithering?
	Phaser 8440DP	unclear	dithering?
	Phaser 8550	no	EFF test
	Phaser 8550DP	no	EFF test
	WorkCentre M24	yes	EFF test
	WorkCentre Pro (all models)	yes	mfr. statement

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