Tracking Dots in printouts and other documents

[Jade Sinapu]

I knew for a while that some printers put into place, the tiniest yellow dots possible, into your document .  These dots are Machine Identification Code , and tell people the serial number, model number, date, time, document name, etc. Use Wikipedia and you can learn more.
I now have found out that this is put into place for ALL printers!

I currently use a printer made in 2008 (it is professional, and still works) and uses ink I refill etc.  So I do not know, being so old, does it make dots...?  I will find out.

Normally this shouldn't bother people.  Why should it?  You are not up to something bad!
But, still it is a privacy issue for some.  And what is more, apparently this agreement was made behind the scenes with all printer manufacturers with government bodies from around the world.  The original intent was to stop counterfeit bills and such.

But if you were a whistle blower and wanted to stop wrong doing, this data could identify someone and possibly cause them to never get the word out about the alleged wrong doing!  And who knows this, besides a few people and some in governments?  So this is a thing forced upon us and without our knowledge.
And yeah, you and I are not up to anything bad, so why should we worry?
My opinion is... because today, we are safe, and tomorrow, when people change their minds as to what is "acceptable" then we may not be, and old documents last a long time. 

So what if a person were to print out a picture of themselves in fursuit, or a group photo, and it was anonymous?  And later society thinks this is a "bad" thing and seize documents to witch hunt people they think are not desirable?  Now you can be identified?!   (Yes that was a contrived example.)

But .... is it okay to force us to have tracking info/code/devices without our knowledge? 

Thoughts?

[cause the rat]

Back in the mid  1980's there was a real problem with people printing money. It was a common practice to have vending machines at work. Most still didn't take paper money. So the solution was to have a machine that would exchange your paper money for coins. People where printing $5 bills and emptying these machines.

[Jade Sinapu]

At work we have 3 vending machines.
They all take paper money if you iron a new bill and do a magic dance while inserting it.
Then you have to hold your breath while it feeds in the paper bill and then you are golden

At college, I had a coke machine that seemed to have a nice malfunction.
if you put in a quarter, and if it came right back out, check the money indicator.  If it counted up, just keep pumping the quarter through it.
I did this , and with one quarter emptied about two dozen cokes into my backpack (which was emptied just for the purpose).
That doesn't seem to work anymore

But yes, printers had the identifying dots programmed in to cause bills to not be counterfeit or at least be traceable.  It is too bad I can't turn this on or off, or at least be told about it.  I like privacy a lot.  If people told you "warning, this printer creates tracking data about you and the document"  I would look for a different printer.  IF all do that, then I would just remember this and live with it.  I just don't like the being forced to accept it part.