Hewlett-Packard is blocking customers from using third-party ink with its printers for security purposes, according to a few posts on the Internet.
Several users across Reddit and Twitter have reported this issue. This is not the first time this is happening—anyone who’s being using HP printer products for a long time might have bumped into this issue at some point.
As per the HP community forum, a recent firmware upgrade for the company’s printers has disabled the use of non-HP ink as part of the company’s strict “dynamic security” policy, reports Ars Technica.
Dynamic Security, a part of HP’s cartridge authentication process that was first introduced in 2016. The company spins it as a process designed to “protect the quality of our customer experience, maintain the integrity of our printing systems, and protect our intellectual property.”
This tech prevents the use of ink or toner cartridges in some printers that do not include “new or reused HP chips or electronic circuitry,” something for which HP has already faced widespread resistance.
That’s clearly not something consumers care about. But clearly, HP stands to gain more from forcing Dynamic Security on users than caring about public opinion. Even a few million bucks paid in class action lawsuits since 2018 hasn’t stopped the company from renewing this practice.
What’s more, it looks like that the company is extending its dynamic security policy to more devices that were previously compatible with cartridges from other manufacturers.
HP provides a workaround for owners of certain older printer models who wish to use non-HP ink. It involves a firmware update that removes the Dynamic Security feature from select Officejet and Officejet Pro devices.
However, the Dynamic Security will continue to remain functional on certain printer models listed here, which were manufactured after December 1, 2016.
At the same time, HP has been careful not to promise that it’ll be fine if you use non-HP ink with HP-branded printers which accept third-party cartridges. Dynamic Security can still kick into action suddenly and refuse non-HP ink.
Well, we guess planting that sort of uncertainty is the best way to guarantee customers stick to HP ink.
