Electronic Frontier Foundation
For years, we've watched with increasing horror as @HP pioneered new dystopian ways of abusing tech users. One bright spot: this inspired @planetmoney's outstanding reportage on the infosec, consumer rights and human costs of the scam.
https://www.npr.org/2021/02/17/968704526/why-printers-are-the-worst
NPR Cookie Consent and Choices

Feb 21, 2021 at 5:40pmtwit2mast
Show threadcensored for “transphobia”Mar 8, 2021
@eff @HP #EFF used to cover a more important issue: #trackingDots (aka #MIC technology). As of 2017, EFF no longer updates the list of printers with #trackerDots: https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots The question is, does EFF still accept test sheets? https://www.eff.org/wp/investigating-machine-identification-code-technology-color-laser-printers
List of Printers Which Do or Do Not Display Tracking Dots

Warning (Added 2015) Some of the documents that we previously received through FOIA suggested that all major manufacturers of color laser printers entered a secret agreement with governments to ensure that the output of those printers is forensically traceable. Although we still don't know if this...

Electronic Frontier Foundation
Show threadcensored for “transphobia”Mar 8, 2021
@HP @eff sorry HP Wilhelmsen, I think your mention must have been a mistake because your nick is short for #HewlettPackard.
Show threadcensored for “transphobia”Mar 8, 2021

@eff

You guys need to update your website because it's unclear if you are still collecting samples. This page:

https://www.eff.org/wp/investigating-machine-identification-code-technology-color-laser-printers

directs people for updates to:

https://www.eff.org/issues/printers

but that page does not state whether you are still collecting samples. Yet this page says you're no longer updating the list:

https://www.eff.org/pages/list-printers-which-do-or-do-not-display-tracking-dots

which somewhat implies that it would be useless to mail EFF a sample.

Investigating Machine Identification Code Technology in Color Laser Printers

Note: As of October 13th, 2005, some information in this paper may be out of date. Please visit http://eff.org/issues/printers for the most up-to-date information on this project. Introduction On Nov. 22, 2004, PC World published an article stating that "several printer companies quietly encode the...

Show threadDanny O'BMar 8, 2021
@koherecoWatchdog @eff Hi! We're not collecting new printer samples at this point; I've updated the pages to note this. Thanks for pointing this out. - [email protected]
Show threadcensored for “transphobia”Mar 9, 2021

@mala
I'm not sure where you made that update. This page still directs people to send test sheets to SF:

https://www.eff.org/wp/investigating-machine-identification-code-technology-color-laser-printers

Also, I get the impression that EFF assumes other forms of stego are being used & that they've given up on the project. Where does that certainty come from?

It's still useful to ethical consumers to avoid brands that are /known/ to be working against them. We want to avoid anti-features that mfrs concealed (ie. dots found but no mfr disclosure).

@eff

Investigating Machine Identification Code Technology in Color Laser Printers

Note: As of October 13th, 2005, some information in this paper may be out of date. Please visit http://eff.org/issues/printers for the most up-to-date information on this project. Introduction On Nov. 22, 2004, PC World published an article stating that "several printer companies quietly encode the...

Show threadcensored for “transphobia”Mar 9, 2021
@eff @mala If this is an arms race it still makes sense to flush out the yellow dots (detect & boycott). So when the next whistleblower gets stung, the next stego form gets exposed to the chopping block. Consumer Reports (CR) reviews printers all the time. And they've changed focus. CR is looking at infosec attributes more & more. Has EFF considered collaborating w/them on this?
Show threadDanny O'BMar 9, 2021

@koherecoWatchdog top of the page, "Please note that EFF is no longer requesting or accepting samples of printer dots."

The Consumer Reports idea is a good one. We have limited resources, unfortunately: our work on printer dots was many, years ago.

Show threadresist1984Mar 8, 2021
@eff @HP proposed new rule: the US Bureau of Weights & Measures must require an estimated price per oz or mL on all printer ink packaging, and audit them for accuracy. Regulate it like fuel.