Which aspect of EPP are you submitting for?
Endpoint Protector Client
What is a one sentence summary of your feature request?
We propose an invisible watermarking feature that is undetected by users but allows tracking the leak source (user ID, timestamp, etc.) when screen captures, smartphone photos, or printed documents are leaked.
Please describe your idea in detail. What is your problem, why do you feel this idea is the best solution, etc.
[Problem]
Traditional visible watermarks obstruct user workflow, create visual noise, and degrade the user experience. Furthermore, determined leachers can easily bypass them by cropping out or editing the visible watermark, making it extremely difficult to identify the original source of the leak.
[Proposed Solution]
Implement an invisible/steganographic watermarking solution. This feature embeds imperceptible, encrypted metadata (such as User ID, IP address, timestamp, and Document ID) directly into pixel patterns during on-screen display and printing.
[Why This is the Best Solution]
Preserved User Experience (UX): Because the watermark is completely invisible to the human eye, it maintains full readability and content quality without distracting users.
Robust Security & Traceability: Even if a user takes a photo of the monitor, prints the document, crops the image, or alters the resolution, a dedicated decoder can still extract the embedded metadata to pinpoint the exact leak source.
Deterrence: Notifying users that an invisible watermark system is active serves as a powerful psychological deterrent against unauthorized sharing without ruining the interface.
How do you currently solve the challenges you have by not having this feature?
Currently, we rely on traditional visible watermarks overlaid across screens or DRM/anti-capture software.
However, these current methods fail to fully address the issue due to key limitations:
Visible overlays impair screen legibility, leading to frequent user complaints and reduced productivity.
Anti-capture solutions cannot prevent physical leaks, such as taking photos of the monitor with a smartphone.
If a user photographs only a section of the screen where the visible watermark isn’t displayed, it becomes impossible to identify who leaked the information.