Every page your printer produces has invisible yellow dots encoding the printer's serial number and the date and time. Every page. The EFF documented this across Epson, HP, Brother, and Canon. If you print a political pamphlet, a whistleblower document, or a protest flyer, the dots identify your printer. Anonymous printing does not exist. Epson pushed a firmware update that bricked printers using third-party ink. No warning. Your printer worked yesterday. Today it refuses to print because the ink isn't Epson-branded. A class-action lawsuit followed. The EcoTank avoids cartridges — but the connected app can still push firmware updates that change what your printer does. Remotely. Without asking.
What they claim: Epson describes connected printing as convenient with standard data collection
What we found: 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.
What they claim: Epson EcoTank promotes cost savings through refillable ink tanks
What we found: Epson has used firmware updates to disable third-party ink cartridges in its non-EcoTank printers, forcing customers to buy Epson-brand ink at significant markup. A 2024 class-action lawsuit alleged Epson pushed a firmware update that bricked printers using non-Epson ink without warning. While EcoTank avoids cartridge DRM, the connected app ecosystem enables remote firmware updates that could change functionality at any time.