• some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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      8 months ago

      Wow, I had no idea. I thought the joke was needing full ink in an unrelated color. I didn’t know about tracking. I’m sadly unsurprised.

      • Jyek@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        It’s for the purpose of serialization for counterfeit purposes. Also, high end copiers have a device installed called the BDU (Bill Detection Unit) that all scans pass through before being post processed. If the BDU detects a bill being scanned it can error and shut down the whole device until the manufacturer can send someone out to fix it. I used to be one of those people resetting BDUs at schools where a teacher thought it was a good idea to copy images of money for teaching students.

        • DaGeek247@fedia.io
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          8 months ago

          That, and tracking down anyone else the government doesn’t like, apparently.

          • melpomenesclevage@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Or their corporate masters! Its not always just the government, you paranoid conspiracy nut! Take your meticulously cited sources and century of baroque acid fueled clandestine horror and go home!

    • then_three_more@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      feature originally intended as a deterrent to counterfeiting currency with laser printers.

      Honestly, the USA is something special. So they do this, instead of putting modern anticounterfit (like polimer notes with transparencies) measures onto their notes.

      • theherk@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        In addition to not in lieu of. The US works very hard on preventing counterfeiting, including the creation of the Secret Service.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Our notes have several anti-counterfeit measures. But it’s pretty easy to print up money that won’t pass scrutiny, but will be spendable at busy nightclubs and such. Well… It used to be easy. Now printer/scanners won’t even work if they detect currency.

    • hedgehog@ttrpg.network
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      8 months ago

      consumers will not notice any difference in the performance or effectiveness of products equipped with this technology.

      I believe they missed this part of the memo

      • redcalcium@lemmy.institute
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        8 months ago

        It’s obvious, more ink used = more profit. The government get the tracking they want, the printer company is slightly more profitable due to extra ink usage, and the customers got fucked. Win-win!

    • Hold up… Was “Reality Winner” the name of an individual or a business? Like, I was stunned by the fact the yellow dots thing is a thing, but then it starts talking about “Reality Winner” and I can’t move on until I know what’s up with that name. lol

      • TempermentalAnomaly@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        She is a former NSA translator who sent some classified documents to The Intercept. The Intercept failed to redact the document properly allowing the NSA to view identifying marks on the printout and track her down. I believe she has been release from prison.