What we found
ENVY 6055e All-in-One Printer: DHP says it does not look at what you print, but it collects enough information — like the file name, the program you printed from, and the file type — to fig...
POLICY: HP privacy policy states it does not scan or collect the content of any file but discloses collecting file type (.pdf, .jpg, .docx), application used (Word, Excel, Photoshop), file size, timestamps, print mode, and media type. REGULATORY: Security researcher Robert Heaton documented HP printers sending document names, applications used, page counts, and color/grayscale status to HP servers via a Product Improvement Study program opted-in by default. He demonstrated HP could infer users were printing resumes, tax returns, or medical documents from metadata alone.
PIXMA (WiFi series): DSeven critical flaws in Canon PIXMA printers — each rated 9.8/10 severity — allowed any stranger on the internet to take full remote control without a password.
Seven critical buffer overflow vulnerabilities discovered (CVE-2023-6229 through CVE-2023-6234, CVE-2024-0244), all rated 9.8/10 CVSS. Unauthenticated remote attacker could execute arbitrary code. Affects PIXMA MG, G series.
OfficeJet Pro (HP+ series): CHP's printer tracks which application you used to print what file type at what time — metadata detailed enough to reconstruct your work life — and the CEO ad...
HP Smart Data Collection Notice confirms it collects file type printed, application used, file size, timestamps, cartridge type including third-party detection, and advertising identifiers. Robert Heaton confirmed via network analysis. HP CEO at Davos 2024: We lose money on hardware, we make money on supplies.
Epson EcoTank ET-2850: CEvery page your printer produces has invisible yellow dots encoding the printer's serial number and the date and time.
Connected printers including Epson EcoTank collect and transmit usage data: print frequency, page counts, ink consumption patterns, and in some cases document metadata. Researchers have demonstrated that printer tracking dots — Machine Identification Codes (MIC) — embed unique serial numbers and timestamps in every printed page. The EFF documented this practice across HP, Epson, Brother, and Canon printers, enabling any printed document to be traced back to a specific printer.