Speculation as to why printer manufacturers have forensic tracking dots

[Ryan Carboni]

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

(Added 2017) *REMINDER: IT APPEARS LIKELY THAT ALL RECENT COMMERCIAL COLOR
> LASER PRINTERS PRINT SOME KIND OF FORENSIC TRACKING CODES, NOT NECESSARILY
> USING YELLOW DOTS. THIS IS TRUE WHETHER OR NOT THOSE CODES ARE VISIBLE TO
> THE EYE AND WHETHER OR NOT THE PRINTER MODELS ARE LISTED HERE. THIS ALSO
> INCLUDES THE PRINTERS THAT ARE LISTED HERE AS NOT PRODUCING YELLOW DOTS.*



I have a theory as to why. CALEA allows the government to compel "a
manufacturer of telecommunications transmission or switching equipment" to
modify the equipment. Under that or a similar law, printing manufacturers
are compelled to put tracking information onto paper.
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