NEWS: Digital Freeman Founded on New Hampshire Seacoast!

[Michael Fisher]

Digital Freeman Founded on the New Hampshire Seacoast

Feb 18, 2005

Today, Ken Mauser (my business partner) and I proudly launch Digital Freeman, the premier organization for protecting and advancing digital freedom and privacy in New Hampshire!? DF tracks local and national privacy-related news and holds free digital privacy and security seminars on the New Hampshire Seacoast.

Digital Freeman - http://df.ctgreatbay.com/

"Digital Freeman" originates from the name "Granite Freeman" an abolition-era New Hampshire newspaper.? In 1845, the Granite Freeman published an interview with Ona Judge Staines, a slave of George Washington that escaped to New Hampshire for her freedom.? Ona Judge Staines - http://seacoastnh.com/blackhistory/ona.html

[ken]

Don't forget to check there from time to time to keep up to date on news regarding electronic privacy rights. We will be posting news about everything from e-voting to RFID tags, also feel free to check out these other sites www.eff.org, www.privacy.org, www.epic.org , and www.verifiedvoting.org.

[Russell Kanning]

How best could we link to you guys from the wiki?

[Michael Fisher]

How best could we link to you guys from the wiki?

Probably just the website address:? Digital Freeman - http://df.ctgreatbay.com/

Thanks!?

[Michael Fisher]

The volunteers at Digital Freeman have done some interesting research that you should know about.? I'll publish one topic at a time.

The majority of color laser printers have government microchips that print light yellow code on each printout you make.? The code includes information about your printer make, model, and serial number, which can be used to easily trace your printouts back to you.? This technology was created to stop counterfeiters, but it is a MAJOR violation of privacy.? Governments worldwide have conspired with printer manufacturers for 20 years to implement this technology without our knowledge.

This secret was well-kept for the past 20 years, but has recently become public knowledge.? For some reason, it seems to be widely ignored by the general public.

We do not believe in conspiracy theories, only facts.? That is why we worked hard to find a way to photograph actual evidence of this.? Apparently, the best way to see the code is to look at a color laser printout under a blue light with a magnifying glass.

Here is some of the evidence we've found so far.? These photographs, captured from a color laser printout of a proof of my new phonebook advertisements, were taken under a blue light with a jeweler's magnifying lens:

http://www.ctgreatbay.com/files/1.JPG
http://www.ctgreatbay.com/files/2.JPG
http://www.ctgreatbay.com/files/3.JPG

[John]

I thought I read some time ago that all manufactures do this.  You say "the majority."
Do you know of any who don't?  I'll vote for them with my money.

[FTL_Ian]

That's pretty wild.  Only laser printers though?

[John]

I'd be willing to bet - and I'm not a gamling man - that they have computers putting stamps/codes on the print by now.

[Michael Fisher]

I thought I read some time ago that all manufactures do this.? You say "the majority."
Do you know of any who don't?? I'll vote for them with my money.

No.  If I find out who does not do this, then I will let everyone know.

But you should know this much:  Xerox admits that they pioneered the technology 20 years ago.  They even admit that the US government would work directly with them, at Xerox offices, to implement the technology.

Xerox is apparently proud of this.

Until we find otherwise, I will be buying inkjet printers only, and boycotting Xerox.

[Michael Fisher]

That's pretty wild.? Only laser printers though?

Color laser printers only as far as we are aware.

[Russell Kanning]

Now that is something we can boycott.

[wdg3rd]

I'd be willing to bet - and I'm not a gamling man - that they have computers putting stamps/codes on the print by now.

That would be dependent on the operating system.  I find no evidence of it in the source code to the programs I use.  For those without access to source code, there could be literally anything embedded.

[Michael Fisher]

Wait until we post our research about vehicle event data recorders...   

[Michael Fisher]

The volunteers at Digital Freeman are at it again.? Our latest research uncovers a major violation of privacy against everyone who drives a vehicle.


Event Data Recorders, also known as Black Boxes, are devices that can record all information about your vehicle and your driving habits.? EDRs have been installed in the vast majority of vehicles manufactured within the last 10 years.

EDRs are usually silver, not black.? A description of EDRs:? Crash Data Retrieval System (CDR) / Event Data Recorder (EDR)

Most EDRs are only supposed to record the last 5 seconds of data.? This data can be extracted, analyzed, and used against you after a car accident, and this practice is becoming more common in legal conflicts.

EDRs can be easily modified to record hours, days, or weeks of driving data.? Progressive Insurance is running a pilot program called TripSense which records days of driving information about their customers, automatically analyzes this information, and gives discounts based on your driving habits.

Progressive TripSense Data Recorders

Progressive stores your driving information in their database.? This information is easily released to the government by court order.? A quote from the FAQ on their website:

"Q:? Can TripSense data be subpoenaed?
A:? Yes, and if so, we would be required to comply."

"Jim Haas, Progressive?s Minnesota product manager, admits some insurers may decide to tie insurability and risk to use of the box."
-AutoWeek, Under the Hood, with Big Brother.


Most vehicles have EDRs.

We have not been able to find information on some manufacturers, such as Honda, but here is a partial list of vehicles with EDRs installed and the location of the device:
Motor Vehicle Event Data Recorders


Vehicles with OnStar systems wirelessly transmit Black Box information.

Under the Hood, with Big Brother

"For our road test team this summer, it was just a matter of running a routine slalom in a Chevy Malibu Maxx?without so much as hitting a rubber cone?when OnStar called to check up on our driver?s health. ... How?d they know that you were driving like that? What else do they know? And who else knows?"


On a related topic, the FBI was sued in late 2003 for the practice of activating OnStar microphones to eavesdrop on conversations in vehicles.

Court to FBI: No spying on in-car computers

The FBI was forced to stop spying activities through OnStar, but ONLY because their spying activities were interfering with the operation of a vehicle's OnStar system, which could spell disaster during an emergency.

It is obvious to me that the FBI will find a way to spy through OnStar without interfering with the system.? When they do, this ruling will be essentially nullified.


Crashport, a company based in Los Angeles, California, published a document 5 years ago calling for the mandatory wireless transmission of Black Box data to a central government database.? Crashport is trying to become the contractor to create and manage this proposed system.

The Lifesaving Benefits of Real-Time Wireless Transmission and Analysis of Black Box Data

A quote from this document referring to the events at Firestone:

"'I think it would be very hard for anyone reasonable not to understand that the
manufacturer's self-policing did not work in this case'... 'this is exactly the
right time' to ask Congress for greater powers and more funding...? 'I for one
think when it comes to safety, you can't have too much control.'"
-Sue Bailey, Ex-Director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


EDRs can be REMOVED.

Removing your EDR may cause your car to stop functioning entirely, disable your airbags and other safety systems, or cause permanent damage to your car.? Regardless, I will be finding and removing the EDR from my vehicle ASAP.

EDR Removal


It is likely that Black Boxes will become mandatory in all vehicles within the next year.? Mandatory wireless transmission of this data is the next step, and could take place soon afterward.

NHTSA Event Data Recorder Program

[Russell Kanning]