Printer tracking dots
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| − | '''Printer tracking dots''' are rather secretive, but | + | '''Printer tracking dots''' (also '''Machine Identification Code (MIC)''', '''printer steganography''', '''yellow dots''', '''secret dots''') are rather secretive, but are undeniably inserted in printed documents on many current-day color laser printers, with rumors of the existence of secret agreements between governments and printer manufacturers to ensure this "feature" is present on all major printer models. They are hard-to-see patterns of light-colored (usually yellow) dots that can, to knowledgeable observers, allow it to be determined when and by whom something was printed. It has been reported that this played a role in uncovering the government leaks of Reality Winner (yes, that's her real name) in 2017. |
Rumor has it that printers are transitioning toward using [[steganography]] instead of tracking dots, so don't assume that just because your printer doesn't print these dots, it is not tracking you. | Rumor has it that printers are transitioning toward using [[steganography]] instead of tracking dots, so don't assume that just because your printer doesn't print these dots, it is not tracking you. | ||
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== Links == | == Links == | ||
| + | * [https://w2.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor/ DocuColor Tracking Dot Decoding Guide] | ||
| + | * [https://dfd.inf.tu-dresden.de/ DEDA - tracking Dots Extraction, Decoding and Anonymisation toolkit] ([https://github.com/dfd-tud/deda github]) | ||
| + | * [https://people.duke.edu/~ng46/collections/steg-color-copier-dot-code.htm Research by Nicholas Gessler] | ||
* [https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots List of Printers Which Do or Do Not Display Tracking Dots (EFF)] | * [https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots List of Printers Which Do or Do Not Display Tracking Dots (EFF)] | ||
* [http://blog.erratasec.com/2017/06/how-intercept-outed-reality-winner.html How The Intercept Outed Reality Winner] | * [http://blog.erratasec.com/2017/06/how-intercept-outed-reality-winner.html How The Intercept Outed Reality Winner] | ||
* [http://seeingyellow.com/ Seeing Yellow] | * [http://seeingyellow.com/ Seeing Yellow] | ||
| + | * [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code Wikipedia] | ||
[[Category:Forensics and Law Enforcement]] | [[Category:Forensics and Law Enforcement]] | ||
Latest revision as of 05:43, 29 October 2023
Printer tracking dots (also Machine Identification Code (MIC), printer steganography, yellow dots, secret dots) are rather secretive, but are undeniably inserted in printed documents on many current-day color laser printers, with rumors of the existence of secret agreements between governments and printer manufacturers to ensure this "feature" is present on all major printer models. They are hard-to-see patterns of light-colored (usually yellow) dots that can, to knowledgeable observers, allow it to be determined when and by whom something was printed. It has been reported that this played a role in uncovering the government leaks of Reality Winner (yes, that's her real name) in 2017.
Rumor has it that printers are transitioning toward using steganography instead of tracking dots, so don't assume that just because your printer doesn't print these dots, it is not tracking you.
