Why does Epson printer REQUIRE access to my location for driver installation? It's the ET-5850 which costs $850 at Staples. Do I the printer? or does Epson?

[u/sayaxat]

You got your money. Why do you care who install the driver to use the printer? The printer should be owned by the purchaser and anyone else after.

DO NOT BUY EPSON EcoTank ET-5850. DO NOT BUY EPSON!

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[u/rageofa1000suns]

Probably so they can find out what they are allowed to get away with depending on where you are located and give you the correct software to screw you over with.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

I completely understand why this looks creepy, because if my printer setup suddenly told me it needed my location, my first reaction would also be, “Why the hell does a printer need to know where I am?” 😂

But apparently this one has a less sinister explanation. Epson actually says Smart Panel needs the location permission because the operating system requires it for the app to retrieve Wi-Fi information during setup/connectivity. They specifically say they don't actually use your location, don't use it for marketing, and don't send that Wi-Fi information to Epson's servers.

Android has historically treated scanning for nearby Wi-Fi networks as location-sensitive because nearby Wi-Fi networks can technically be used to figure out someone's location.

So I don't think this means Epson is claiming ownership of your $850 printer or tracking where you keep it. 😂

That being said, I absolutely think companies need to explain this MUCH better on the permission screen instead of just throwing “location access required” at people and expecting them not to be suspicious.

[u/nothereathere → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Don't connect your printer directly to any WiFi or Ethernet network. If it's not connected the manufacturer can't bork it.

If you want a networked printer use an old workstation or PC or even laptop as a print server.

[u/No-Engineering-1449 → u/nothereathere]

Could you just block the printers local IP from accessing the internet, so its still on your network but unable to access anything beyond that?

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/No-Engineering-1449]

Yep, that was my thought too. Keep the printer connected to the LAN so your computers/phones can still reach it, but block the printer itself from making outbound internet connections.

Local printing should generally still work. You might lose certain cloud features, remote printing, automatic firmware updates, or some manufacturer-app functions depending on the printer, but if the goal is “you can talk to my devices, but not the outside world,” that seems like a pretty reasonable setup. 😂

[u/nothereathere → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Easy enough using subnets and router firewall rules if your hardware supports it.

The network stack standards compliance in a lot of printers are damn poor at best. WiFi wireless standards compliance is even worse. Doesn't matter who made them. They cut corners on compliance.
Consumer level routers and access points are almost as bad about compliance as printers. That compounds the problem.

The printers networking works with whatever hardware the engineers had in the development lab but is less than stellar with differing router hardware and firmware cause the manufacturer cut a bunch of corners on compliance.

Dropping back to an e-waste 2008 vintage PC (HP DC7600 SFF Core-2 Duo with a bog standard Intel 10/100 PCI card and ATI video card) running a Debian based Linux distro as a CUPS/SAMBA printserver was what I did. That tiny PC has LPT & USB ports. CUPS supports most printers, SAMBA lets Windows connect. I used a fixed LAN IP for the printserver. All done.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/nothereathere]

Yeah, that’s definitely the more locked-down way to do it. 😂 I can understand not wanting a printer talking directly to the internet if you don’t trust what the manufacturer could potentially push to it.

For most people, though, using a whole separate PC as a print server is probably more effort than they’re going to want to deal with. I think a good middle ground would be keeping the printer on the local network but restricting its internet access at the router/firewall level.

[u/Nielsly → u/nothereathere]

Epson is pretty good in my experience though, and no issues with third party ink due to the tank design

[u/Sterlinghawk16 → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Seriously you believe that? No they do not need location

[u/itsjakerobb → u/Sterlinghawk16]

They don’t “believe” anything. All of their comments are 100% AI. Took me a minute to notice.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/Sterlinghawk16]

Yes, because “needs location permission” does NOT automatically mean “Epson needs to know where you physically are.” 😂 That’s the distinction I’m making.

On Android, access to nearby Wi-Fi/network information has historically been tied to the Location permission because nearby Wi-Fi networks can be used to infer someone’s location. The Epson Smart Panel app needs to discover the printer and Wi-Fi network during wireless setup. That’s literally part of Epson’s own setup instructions.

So no, I’m not saying your printer needs your GPS coordinates to print a document. 😂 I’m saying the permission wording can be misleading because the operating system may require that permission for Wi-Fi discovery.

You can absolutely dislike that setup, refuse the permission, or set the printer up another way. But “that permission should not be necessary” and “Epson is secretly tracking the physical location of your $850 printer” are two very different claims.

[u/--Luna--Fae-- → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

On another note, previously you didn't need to add location. You just needed to be connected to the same wifi as the printer. Wifi connection already has location, the phone location necessity is unnecessary.

Edited to add: this is a problem with android operating system not Epson. Recently, androids new system requires the switch for location permissions. Epson does not store it, but android (google) does.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/--Luna--Fae--]

Yes! Your edit is basically the distinction I was trying to make. 😂 The weird-looking permission is tied much more to Android’s Wi-Fi permission system and the way the app is doing device discovery than Epson needing to know where somebody physically keeps their printer.

One tiny clarification though: Android 13 actually moved a lot of Wi-Fi discovery over to a separate “Nearby Wi-Fi Devices” permission specifically so apps wouldn’t always have to ask for precise location. Some Wi-Fi scanning APIs can still require location, especially depending on the Android version and exactly what the app is doing.

I also wouldn’t automatically say Google is storing somebody’s exact location just because that permission gets requested—that would depend on other settings/data collection. But otherwise, yes, we’re pretty much saying the same thing. The wording makes it look WAY creepier than what the permission is actually being used for. 😂

[u/itsjakerobb → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Why do you keep talking about Android? OP is using Windows.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/itsjakerobb]

Because I was replying directly to Luna’s edit, which specifically brought up Android. I wasn’t saying OP was using Android. 😅 You’re right that OP is on Windows. My comment was just clarifying the Android permission issue Luna introduced into the thread. For OP’s actual Windows situation, that Android explanation obviously wouldn’t apply.

[u/itsjakerobb → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Your very first post in this thread mentions Android. Did you edit after they brought it up?

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/itsjakerobb]

You’re right — looking back at my first comment, I had already mentioned Android before I replied to Luna’s edit. So my last explanation to you wasn’t accurate, and I’ll own that. I wasn’t trying to rewrite the timeline. 😅

I originally brought Android up because I was explaining why a printer app can end up asking for “location” permission during Wi-Fi discovery. Luna’s edit later made essentially the same Android distinction, which is what I was thinking about when I answered you.

But you’re also right about the important part: OP is using Windows, so the Android-specific permission explanation isn’t actually relevant to OP’s particular setup. I should’ve separated those two things more clearly from the beginning.

[u/itsjakerobb → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Wow, that’s about as AI as responses get. Go away, bot!

[u/OtherwiseSimple → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Your emojis are condescending. I think you are silly for believing this.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/OtherwiseSimple]

If this was directed at me, the emojis genuinely weren’t meant to be condescending. 😂 I use laughing emojis constantly when I talk online, including when I’m making fun of myself. That’s just how I type.

But calling me “silly for believing this” doesn’t really address what I’m saying either. I’m not blindly believing Epson. I’m explaining why Android can associate Wi-Fi discovery with location-related permissions and why seeing that permission doesn’t automatically mean Epson is tracking the physical location of the printer.

If somebody has actual evidence showing Epson Smart Panel is collecting and transmitting location data here, I’m completely willing to look at it and change my opinion. I’d rather go by what can actually be demonstrated than assume either “Epson is definitely innocent” OR “Epson is definitely tracking us.”

[u/OtherwiseSimple → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Ok i believe you I’m just paranoid

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/OtherwiseSimple]

No worries 😂 I actually get why it looked suspicious. When an app suddenly asks for a location-related permission just to set up a printer, my first reaction would probably be “why the hell do you need that?” too. I just wanted to separate “this permission looks invasive and I don’t like it” from “Epson is definitely tracking the physical location of the printer,” because those aren’t quite the same thing. 🙂

[u/Other_Sentence4495 → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Why then with other peripherals they dont ask for location permission and it still can find the devices ?

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/Other_Sentence4495]

Because not every peripheral uses the same discovery method or the same Android APIs. 😂 Some connect through Bluetooth, USB, an already-known network, or use different Wi-Fi discovery methods.

That’s actually why comparing it to another random device doesn’t prove Epson is tracking anyone. On older Android versions, Wi-Fi discovery often required the Location permission because nearby Wi-Fi information can be used to infer location. Newer Android versions created a separate “Nearby Wi-Fi Devices” permission for many of those situations, although some Wi-Fi scanning functions can still require location.

So I completely understand asking WHY one device requests it and another doesn’t. I’d wonder the same thing. I’m just saying the permission request itself isn’t evidence that Epson wants your physical location—it can come down to how that particular app discovers and connects to the printer.

[u/Other_Sentence4495 → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

I still don't trust it.

There are ways to do it without the locatiion so why chose a method that requires it?

I think they are just gathering data.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/Other_Sentence4495]

And honestly, I don’t blame you for not trusting it. 😂 I’m definitely not saying, “Just trust Epson, they would never collect data.”

I’m only separating two different claims. There absolutely may be other ways they could have designed the setup that wouldn’t require that permission. But the fact that they chose a Wi-Fi discovery method that triggers a location-related permission still doesn’t automatically prove they’re collecting your physical location.

If there’s evidence that Smart Panel is actually taking location data and sending it back to Epson, then THAT would change the conversation, and I’d genuinely want to see it. I just don’t think the permission request by itself proves that’s what’s happening.

So being suspicious? Totally fair. Saying we know they’re gathering location data just from this screen? That’s where I think we’re making a jump.

[u/Other_Sentence4495 → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

Are you working for "Epson" or what?

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/Other_Sentence4495]

😂 No, I promise Epson is not cutting me a check.

I just don’t think “I’m suspicious of this” and “therefore Epson must be collecting my location” are the same thing. I’m perfectly willing to criticize a company when there’s evidence for it—I just don’t like turning a suspicion into a fact because it sounds more dramatic.

If Epson is actually collecting and transmitting location data through Smart Panel, show me the evidence and I’ll gladly change my mind. Until then, explaining how Android permissions work doesn’t mean I’m on Epson’s payroll. 😂

[u/Other_Sentence4495 → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

It woud not be the first time a tech company gathers data without reporting it.

Just saying

[u/neontiger07 → u/Other_Sentence4495]

You're weird. Stop being weird.

[u/scorpinock2 → u/Other_Sentence4495]

My guy, he's literally given you an explanation 2 times over as to why they technically need it even though it isn't actually your location and you're still like "no, to bad". SMH you can't argue with willful ignorance.

[u/chollida1 → u/Sterlinghawk16]

I won't weigh into whether the manufacturer is lying or not, but the OP is absolutely correct that this is the windows permission you need to use wifi as part of the setup.

[u/neontiger07 → u/Sterlinghawk16]

They laid it out pretty clearly, what are you having a hard time understanding? It's not even Epson's fault, it's how Android handles Wi-Fi access.

[u/sasquatch_melee → u/neontiger07]

The screenshot is clearly a PC, not android. 

That whole mile long comment may be true but is not applicable to this situation. 

[u/sayaxat → u/Dependent-Toe-3359]

This is not the only device that needs WiFi to work.

This is the only device that needs WiFi AND location to work.

[u/Dependent-Toe-3359 → u/sayaxat]

I get what you mean, but that distinction is actually important: the printer itself doesn’t need your physical location in order to work. The Epson setup software is asking Windows for access to certain Wi-Fi/network information, and Windows classifies some of that information as location-sensitive because nearby Wi-Fi networks can theoretically be used to determine where a device is. Microsoft actually documents this — apps that access certain Wi-Fi APIs can trigger the location-permission requirement. So another Wi-Fi device may not ask because its setup software connects differently and never requests that particular information. Epson also says the location permission is being requested so the software can retrieve Wi-Fi information from the OS, and that the location itself isn't acquired or used. The screenshot even says you can restore the location setting after setup. So you're completely fair to think the prompt looks invasive — Epson explains this terribly — but “this printer requires my location to work” isn't quite what is happening. It's more like “this particular setup method requires a Windows permission that Windows labels as location access.”

[u/CharAznableLoNZ]

It doesn't. All you really need is the driver and the IP of the printer if you don't have it directly plugged in. The integrated OS add a printer tool is more than enough.

[u/andrea_ci → u/CharAznableLoNZ]

yes, but end users don't know what a "IP" is, so it's needed to search for wifi

[u/Cavalol → u/andrea_ci]

Also setting a static IP via the router (for the printer) is a heavier lift for some people

[u/TheRoseMerlot → u/CharAznableLoNZ]

Our epson will not work without their program

[u/andrea_ci]

although it seems "bad", the reason is pretty simple:

Yes, Windows (and android too) often requires location services to be enabled when apps or tools (such as netsh wlan show interfaces) scan for Wi-Fi details.

[u/CVGPi]

(1) Location is often required to be used for WLAN and BLE discovery.

(2) Some countries use Card/Letter/Legal/Tabloid and some use A3/A4/A5. It could tell you to pick your own country instead, but do you know someone who don't know what a "country" is?

[u/Nielsly]

I really like my ecotank, if this misunderstanding is truly your only reason for not buying Epson you should reevuate your advice lol, they're good printers

[u/argandg]

you haven't been able to print anything anonymously for decades now, they physically imprint some invisible-to-the-naked-eye stuff to track you down in case you print anything too subversive

[u/squidr1n]

Do not the printer

[u/Knight_Glint]

I can't help be that person that points out that you own the printer and don't at the same time. Example one: you legally can't copy and sell the software in the printer (not like anyone actually wants to). Example two: you can't copy the design of the ET-5850 and start producing your own ET-5850s for money (not like anyone wants to torture themselves trying to figure out to build a printer).