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October 25, 2004
Printers betray document secrets
That staple of crime novels - solving a case by identifying the typewriter used to write a ransom note - is being updated for the modern day.
US scientists have discovered that every desktop printer has a signature style that it invisibly leaves on all the documents it produces.
They have now found a way to use this to identify individual laser printers.
The work will help track down printers used to make bogus bank notes, fake passports and other important papers.
October 25, 2004 in Tech/Science | Permalink
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Comments
I agree with Nia and Judith that civil liberties will be put at risk. But having said that, given recent occurences, civil liberties are being infringed on a higher scale with the threat of terrorism looming large. They might as well go the whole nine yards now!
Posted by: Arian | Oct 27, 2004 10:31:39 AM
I think it's great how they can use this technology to nab the evil-doers. :) But Judith is right. Civil liberties are always in jeopardy when new stuff like this comes along and nothing is ever foolproof.
Posted by: Nia | Oct 25, 2004 10:46:42 AM
I suppose every machine is different so this is possible; but they would need to get access to your printer in order to test it -- just as with typewriters in the old day. Civil Liberties paranoid that I am, I can see this as a future tool in the Government's hands (why did I used to think of my Government as a defender of my liberty? Why do I still hope that is true?) to nail protesters and dissidents as well as counterfeiters.
Posted by: Judith | Oct 25, 2004 10:00:03 AM
