---
created_at: '2015-03-26T06:09:28.000Z'
title: EFF's “Yellow Dots of Mystery” (2008)
url: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/effs-yellow-dots-mystery-instructables
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---
[Source](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/10/effs-yellow-dots-mystery-instructables "Permalink to EFF's "Yellow Dots of Mystery" on Instructables | Electronic Frontier Foundation")

# EFF's "Yellow Dots of Mystery" on Instructables | Electronic Frontier Foundation

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# EFF's "Yellow Dots of Mystery" on Instructables

DEEPLINKS BLOG 

News Update by Richard Esguerra

October 24, 2008

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# EFF's "Yellow Dots of Mystery" on Instructables

**Share It** [Share on Twitter__][40] [Share on Facebook__][41] [Share on Google+__][42] [Copy link__][43]

Since late 2004, EFF has been warning the public about "printer dots" -- tiny yellow dots that appear on documents produced by many color laser printers and copiers. These yellow dots form a coded pattern on every page the printer produces and can be used to identify specific details about a document; for example, the brand, model, and serial number of the device that printed it and when it was printed. In short, the printer dots are a surveillance tool that can link each printed page to the printer that printed it.

To help individuals learn more about printer dots and how to find them, EFF posted a video and tutorial to [Instructables][44], titled, ["Yellow Dots of Mystery: Is Your Printer Spying on You?"][45]. You can also watch the video here:

![mytubethumb][46] ![play][47]

%3Ciframe%20width%3D%22560%22%20height%3D%22315%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FizMGMsIZK4U%3Fautoplay%3D1%22%20frameborder%3D%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3D%22%22%3E%3C%2Fiframe%3E

[Privacy info.][48] This embed will serve content from [_youtube.com][49]_  

Printer dot surveillance is a disturbing end run around individuals' right to anonymous speech. Anonymity is a vital freedom -- it can help political or religious speakers, labor organizers, or whistleblowers avoid retribution for their beliefs and opinions. Around the world, anonymity is an important practical protection for dissidents and religious groups against persecution by repressive governments.

Furthermore, it's deeply troubling that printer manufacturers implemented this surveillance mechanism under the table after secret meetings between government representatives and technology manufacturers. Printer companies don't disclose the tracking to their customers and so the existence of these yellow tracking dots remains secret.

In the meantime, you can do your part by [spreading the word][50] about printer dots, [sending EFF samples from your own color laser printers][51], and contacting manufacturers to express your privacy concerns directly through the [Seeing Yellow][52] site. And of course, you can support our work on privacy, anonymity, and free speech issues by [becoming an EFF member][53].

## Related Issues

[Printer Tracking][54]

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## Join EFF Lists

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## Related Updates

![Printer Dots][55]

[Deeplinks Blog][56] by [Seth Schoen][57] | June 6, 2017

### [Printer Tracking Dots Back in the News][58]

Several journalists and experts have recently [focused][59] on the fact that a scanned document [published by _The Intercept_][60] contained tiny yellow dots produced by a Xerox DocuColor printer. Those dots allow the document's origin and date of printing to be ascertained, which could have played a role in...

![Printer Dots][55]

[Deeplinks Blog][56] by [Seth Schoen][57] | June 6, 2017

### [Printer Tracking Dots Back in the News][58]

Several journalists and experts have recently [focused][59] on the fact that a scanned document [published by _The Intercept_][60] contained tiny yellow dots produced by a Xerox DocuColor printer. Those dots allow the document's origin and date of printing to be ascertained, which could have played a role in...

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [How Lexmark's patent fight to crush an ink reseller will affect us all][63]

If printer maker Lexmark International prevails against ink cartridge reseller Impression Products, tech giants and other American companies will gain the ability to control products through patent claims after they have been sold. Daniel Nazer, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mark Cuban Chair to Eliminate Stupid Patents...

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [How Lexmark's patent fight to crush an ink reseller will affect us all][64]

If printer maker Lexmark International prevails against ink cartridge reseller Impression Products, tech giants and other American companies will gain the ability to control products through patent claims after they have been sold. Daniel Nazer, staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mark Cuban Chair to Eliminate Stupid Patents...

![Printer Dots][55]

[Deeplinks Blog][56] by [Mark Rumold][65] | March 16, 2011

### [EFF Lets the Sunshine In][66]

This week marks the seventh annual [Sunshine Week][67], a national initiative to promote dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. As our little way to celebrate, EFF has recently posted nearly nine thousand pages of government documents to our site. For the majority of these...

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [Laser Printers Reveal Your Identity Through Dots][68]

Seth Schoen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation uncovered the existence of these dots through the Freedom of Information Act and says that the government should at least put out warnings or an advisement to consumers saying that these dots exist.

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [Data mining project benefits investigators, scares privacy experts][69]

Among the databases: financial records, credit card data, even Blockbuster accounts. From a privacy standpoint, ''it's a lot and it's quite scary,'' says Lee Tien, an attorney with the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation.

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [Buying a Printer: Fact vs. Fiction][70]

The Electronic Frontier Foundation maintains a list of color laser printers that, it says, lay down light yellow code-patterns on every print; the dots are viewable in blue light or under magnification. These codes were developed to help the federal government track down criminals who were printing counterfeit cash. But...

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [In the pursuit of easy money][71]

There is another approach to digital security: "fingerprinting" the machines that make modern counterfeiting so tempting. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reports that US authorities have succeeded in getting some colour laser printer makers to digitally label each page their printers produce. The privacy concerns are obvious: these machines do not...

![][61]

[EFF in the News][62]

### [CBS13 Investigates: Code Of Conduct][72]

It's a simple sheet of paper, some text, and a touch of color, but secrets lie hidden on the surface, invisible specks that hold enormous implications. "It's not something that's sort of sunk into general public consciousness by this point," says Seth Schoen, a cyber investigator. Schoen's base of operations...

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