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List of Printers Which Do or Do Not Display Tracking Dots

(www.eff.org)
586 points prawn | 4 comments | 06 Jun 17 22:12 UTC | HN request time: 0.675s | source
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bo1024 ◴[07 Jun 17 02:52 UTC] No.14503345[source]▶
FOSS seems to be the best, if not only, solution. (As usual, when it comes to freedom and privacy...)
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1. beefsack ◴[07 Jun 17 02:59 UTC] No.14503388[source]▶
It's likely any tracking mechanism would be implemented inside the hardware, not as part of drivers.
replies(2): >>14504996 #>>14506958 #
2. rjmunro ◴[07 Jun 17 10:18 UTC] No.14504996[source]▶
It would be in the firmware. It should be possible to hack a printer with open source firmware.

You could even make a printer with open source hardware - something like this, but higher resolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX09WnGU6ZY, or think http://reprap.org/ - home made 3d printers made only from commonly available and 3d printed parts.

replies(1): >>14522888 #
3. bo1024 ◴[07 Jun 17 14:58 UTC] No.14506958[source]▶
(Disclaimer - I know nothing about actual printers.) Really? I would expect that things like location, IP address, time and date, etc would be the most important privacy threats and would be implemented in software. Although I agree that hardware tracking is still an important issue that open-source drivers wouldn't solve.
4. aaronmdjones ◴[09 Jun 17 17:31 UTC] No.14522888[source]▶
> It should be possible to hack a printer with open source firmware.

You'd think so. After all, Stallman created FSF in part because of his frustrations with a printer!

> In 1980, Stallman and some other hackers at the AI Lab were refused access to the source code for the software of a newly installed laser printer, the Xerox 9700. Stallman had modified the software for the Lab's previous laser printer (the XGP, Xerographic Printer), so it electronically messaged a user when the person's job was printed, and would message all logged-in users waiting for print jobs if the printer was jammed. Not being able to add these features to the new printer was a major inconvenience, as the printer was on a different floor from most of the users. This experience convinced Stallman of people's need to be able to freely modify the software they use.