The project focuses on a form of steganography embedded in most commercial printers. In addition to the intended content, most printers also print encoded metadata as a pattern of matrices of small yellow dots imperceptible to the naked eye. This technology has been used for years at the request of the US government as a way to combat counterfeiting. However there are no regulations around it nor wide knowledge of its uses — becoming a threat to free speech, anonymity and privacy. The project came about as the topic was recently in the news due to a leaked NSA document that The Intercept published showing these encrypted marks with a timestamp and the serial number of the machine that was originally used to print it — arguably leading to the arrest of Reality Leigh Winner an NSA contractor. historical importance of exhibitions.
