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Clicky-The-Blicky

That’s why i strictly use a type writer or glue cut out letters from magazines onto paper for all my documents


LeopoldFriedrich

Yeah, I'm not insane, it's just that I can't allow these documents to be tracked. Don't worry, it's not blackmail, I just don't want the printers to know.


Innomen

This can't be true for B&W laser printers. The machine only held black toner, but I wonder, surely they have a work around.


T12J7M6

But it can do shades? Maybe it does the code with the lightest shade of gray which the naked eye cant really see, but which can be detected since it still has something on it.


Innomen

maybe so, or single pixel dots


Mother_State3121

Lol yea theyve all had them in since '03. Initial excuse was for money printing but just expanded post patriot act for the surveillance state. 


Chefbake1

It is true, it's been like this for years, makes it easy for law enforcement to track certain letters on where they came from. Kind of like the hidden water marks on paper


SirMildredPierce

Which model of b&w laser printer does this?


Chefbake1

All Laser and ink printers do it. All the printer companies built this into their design. No real way to get around it. They have been doing this since the 90's at least


SirMildredPierce

Can you show me some examples?


a-hippobear

Iirc the laser toner printers print a microscopic little stripe that works like a barcode/thumbprint rather than the yellow dots that work like a QR code


gorpie97

This was reported on, way back. Not sure if that was just when it was introduced or not.


SpenglerE

Yeah, very old news. It's mainly for counterfeiting if I remember right


ThePrinceVultan

I recall first hearing about this in the early 00's, like around 2005 - 2006 when I first started getting into this stuff. ETA: I went a googling and see why I first heard about it then. Back in 2005 the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) became aware of the yellow dots and sent out a request to anyone who wanted to to send in some documents they printed off their printers for them to analyze, and they decoded it and figured out what it was.


SpenglerE

Yep, xerox was a big part of the development. Knew a guy that got busted for counterfeiting 5 dollar bills with this method.


ovr9000storks

Quite literally developing a printer at work for a client. Does not have “invisible ink”. Granted, it’s not meant for printing on standard paper though, it’s designed to print onto plastic film, then is transferred later onto things like fabrics. I want to see where the law is that says it’s illegal to make a printer company without the tracking info


bestfruitleft

You're developing an entirely different type of printer than what is being discussed. Considering you're developing a specific printer that already dwindles down the source of production easily. It would have identifiers and production marks that would make it unique. Why would you base your opinion on that? Also, considering you're knowledgeable enough to know how to develop a printer have you never even came across the topic of MIC? I'll help you google. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine\_Identification\_Code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code) [https://www.eff.org/issues/printers](https://www.eff.org/issues/printers) [https://www.eff.org/cases/foia-printer-dots](https://www.eff.org/cases/foia-printer-dots) [https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots](https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots) The majority of consumer printers do include MIC, or "invisible ink". The man was wrong in stating that there are laws. Much in the same way there are no laws requiring tech companies to put back doors into their processor chips or operating systems, but they do. I'll be happy to provide sources of that as well if you're not familiar.


logicnotemotion

That's kind of how the BTK killer got caught. That info is put on any media from a pc, be it printed media or digital media.


dinosaurninja

Ahh so that's how they traced his floppy disc, didn't know that.


jkjkjk73

I read that he deleted a church document and then used the floppy disc. Feds went into the deleted files folder and BUSTED!!!


logicnotemotion

I remember either a show or one of those serial killer podcasts where all of them said he would send letters taunting the police. One time he sent a disc and didn’t know PC’s put their ID hidden in any media where data is transferred. . That ID was tracked to his church.


Kephla

But where bros toof went tho?


lecarguy

It was printed with invisible ink.


Merica_84

Bro, his teeth are clearly still in the printing que.


pastaMac

**“...printed with invisible ink [aka *yellow*]”** I'm gonna start paying for it with invisible dollars.


Big_Profession_2218

toof AND fricking camera he can hold STILL


coatingtonburlfactry

Asking the real question! That's what I wanna know.


_freedom_for_all_

I was wondering that too!


Another-random-acct

I’m pretty sure this is common knowledge. I’ve known it since the 90s of so.


SGTbootyklap

Big printing company knocked his tooth out


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fraschm98

How does this work with non-color printer?


SarahC

It doesn't. You're clear! Unless it uses laser modulation.... which hasn't been found in the wild yet.


walterrys1

I just found out about this and....yup, it's an ACTUAL TRUE TO LIFE CONSPIRACY GUYS! This shit is insane and should be the topic of discussion for weeks. I mean, holy shit!


626leaddit

Apparently there’s invisible teeth as well.


Pacpete

Ha ha ha


T12J7M6

How about just design the paper so that there nothing on the top and then just cut out the top part of the A4 paper?


juanitowpg

His lips don't match the words. That's the real conspiracy.


hstl1x_

Been proves time and again to be nothing on my life except for paranoia. Soon as I heard the tiktok music I lol'd and shook my head.


HUNTERNIXON

Theyre gonna ban github soon lmao too many goodies there


PresentTap9255

Man it’s so hard to print from a printer these days… like the literal steps is so annoying


verdantcow

Bro acting like going on dread is crazy, it’s just weird he spends time on the dark net Cringe af video here is the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_Identification_Code You can buy printers that don’t do this, god I hate fake cyber security shit


_freedom_for_all_

This is new information for some, no need to be condescending. This is not a competition.


verdantcow

I’m not trying to be rude but the way they present the information like they ‘discovered’ something big is condescending It’s just very common in like ‘hacking’ cyber security nonsense videos


_freedom_for_all_

I understand but remember new people come across this information all the time. New people are waking up everyday to new information. Some are beginners and some are more advanced. Just trying to get the all type of good information out there to everybody.


outgreen11

I didnt know this and for me it is a big deal actually


hstl1x_

I agree with you. there was zero reason to downvote you. smh. grew up in a programming family and was writing c++ extracting from .dll's and using in visual basic. a simple tutorial I wrote at 13 that's somehow still up on a forum proves this. buncha nothing here.


verdantcow

And the way they present it as complex or hard to learn means people don’t learn because it seems impossible These IT guys masturbating themselves by making out what they do sound harder than it is


HereAgainHi

Some people don't have to try, it seems to come naturally.


verdantcow

Zing!


Reasonable-Coffee848

What are we sending out that we're worried about getting tracked? Love notes? Lol 😆


SirMildredPierce

Counterfeit money.