![]() Tips to keep in mind when getting rid of an old printer Therefore, it’s best to err on the side of caution in order to minimize your risk of exposure. While a proactive approach may help cut back on the amount of potential metadata a printer stores, the unfortunate truth is that there may not be a valid way to prevent your printer from tracking you. And if the printer network offers its own password system, make sure that is enabled as well. If you’re using a shared printer and are concerned about the documents you’re printing, make sure you delete the printer’s activity logs after every session. In fact, the Electronic Frontier Foundation started compiling a list of known printers that contain watermarks but stopped updating it after concluding that every modern printer uses at least some type of unique identifier. The former is considered a half-hearted fix, as other identifiers may still be present the latter is impractical because there is no real way to tell which printers don’t produce watermarks. Ways to stop your printer from tracking youĮxperts suggest the best ways to prevent your printer from using tracking dots are to either print with black ink only or to use a printer that doesn’t produce these types of dots. Because these information logs actually indicate which computer connected to the printer at what time, it’s incredibly easy to pinpoint exactly where a document came from-taking any question of anonymity out of the picture. This means that every page you’ve ever printed could hypothetically be traced back to you.įor shared printers, the risk is much greater. More than that, they contain potentially invasive clues that can link any piece of paper to the person who printed it. These tiny dots, usually on the sides or corners of a printed page, feature unique identifiers that include the make, model, and even the specific serial number of the printer that was used. ![]() While there’s no way to know which types of printers contain these identifiers, it’s safe to assume that every manufacturer features its own kind of watermarked metadata. Once reserved for special printers and scanners, every modern printer today uses some type of watermarking technology. ![]() ![]() Why your printer keeps recordsĭeveloped back in the mid-1990s, the practice of printer watermarking (often referred to as printer stenography) was originally implemented to help track counterfeit bills. Sentenced to five years and three months in prison, Reality Winner was convicted because of a printer. With that information, the FBI was then able to narrow the list of suspects down to one. Unbeknownst to the author, the FBI was able to use the hidden watermarks on the top and sides of the printed pages to discern incriminating metadata, including the serial number of the printer that was used, where it was located, and at what time the document was printed. Tatomm / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images ![]()
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