Heinz QR porn code too saucy for ketchup customer
Posted: 20 Jun 2015, 09:21The food company Heinz has apologised after a QR code on a bottle of tomato ketchup directed people to a pornography website.
The company said that the code was out of date and that it was taking steps to prevent it happening again.
The issue was spotted by Daniel Korell, a customer in Germany, who reported it to the company.
The issue was illustrative of the potential dangers of QR codes, according to one security expert.
The code, which people can scan using a smartphone in order to access content online, was supposed to direct browsers to a site where users could design their own label for a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Hot, as part of a promotion by the company.
Instead, the URL was hosting porn.
"I happened to scan it during lunch and I was a bit surprised where I got redirected to," Mr Korell told the BBC. "I found it rather funny and thought it was worth [sharing] on Heinz's Facebook page
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33200142
The company said that the code was out of date and that it was taking steps to prevent it happening again.
The issue was spotted by Daniel Korell, a customer in Germany, who reported it to the company.
The issue was illustrative of the potential dangers of QR codes, according to one security expert.
The code, which people can scan using a smartphone in order to access content online, was supposed to direct browsers to a site where users could design their own label for a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Hot, as part of a promotion by the company.
Instead, the URL was hosting porn.
"I happened to scan it during lunch and I was a bit surprised where I got redirected to," Mr Korell told the BBC. "I found it rather funny and thought it was worth [sharing] on Heinz's Facebook page
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33200142