Slashdot Mirror


FOIA Request Shows Which Printer Companies Cooperated With US Government

New submitter Dave_Minsky writes "The U.S. Secret Service responded to a FOIA request on Monday that reveals the names of the printer companies that cooperate with the government to identify and track potential counterfeiters. The Electronic Frontier Foundation revealed in 2005 that the U.S. Secret Service was in cahoots with selected laser printer companies to identify and track printer paper using tiny microscopic dots encoded into the paper. The tiny, yellow dots — less than a millimeter each — are printed in a pattern over each page and are only viewable with a blue light, a magnifying glass or a microscope. The pattern of dots is encodes identifiable information including printer model, and time and location where the document was printed." Easy enough to avoid government dots; just don't buy printers from Canon, Brother, Casio, HP, Konica, Minolta, Mita, Ricoh, Sharp, or Xerox.

4 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who would want to counterfeit american money? If you're gonna stick your neck out at least counterfeit something of value

    1. Re:lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      What's the difference?

  2. Re:Yay! I have a Lexmark! by datapharmer · · Score: 5, Funny

    No worries, lexmark print quality is so horrid and their printers so unreliable who in their right mind would actually try to counterfeit anything using one?

    --
    Get a web developer
  3. Re:What's the problem? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Me: Hello, Yttrium Oxide* speaking (not my real name)

    So you're not related to the Connecticut Oxides? When I was in college, I dated Strontium. I've had a nasty rash ever since.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.