Close up of actual tracking dots, taken through a microscopeIs Your Printer Spying On You?
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?
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.
The FBI has amassed thousands of pages from 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.
[There are no laws to prevent abuse of this feature.]
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