QR codes on packaging spark consumer privacy debate
QR codes on packaging spark consumer privacy debate
https://www.packaginginsights.com/news/qr-code-packaging-privacy-risks.html
Publish Date: 2026-07-06 03:42:00
Source Domain: www.packaginginsights.com
Invented to track vehicle parts more efficiently during manufacturing, QR codes are now a common feature on packaging. Yet, as the black and white square becomes second nature for consumers, some voices have highlighted the risk that the technology could undermine digital privacy rights.
Meaning “quick response,” consumers can scan QR codes to find out a host of information, such as recycling instructions, allergen information, product origin, promotions, and recipes. They offer companies a direct pathway to engage with consumers and raise awareness around their brand.
However, QR codes are more than just a consumer interaction tool — they aid in the collection of data used by companies to understand consumer behavior patterns.
The QR code is not itself a tracker, but once a code on a package is scanned, a consumer’s device is directed to a website. In doing so, depending on how a system is configured, companies may be able to see time, approximate location, device type, and product batch — among other things that depend on a company’s terms and conditions, analytics setup, and consent settings.
In some cases, third-party QR codes route users through an external QR management platform before directing them to the company’s webpage, potentially adding another data-processing layer.
Packaging Insights speaks to Appetite Creative, Polytag, and NGO Digital Rights Watch to better understand the tracking technology behind QR codes, uncovering it as more than a packaging design feature, but an analytical marketing tool.
“Data brokers tend to follow people around the web as much as they possibly can. Their business model is predicated on knowing as much about an individual as possible,” Tom Sulston, head of Policy at Digital Rights Watch, tells us.
“So it’s very likely that following QR codes printed on packaging will result in the user being tracked — even if they’re not logged into a specific system.”
In collecting such data,…
