The venerable QR code is now a common sight, as people use it to check in via apps when entering premises and has become part of our new normal routine.
But back in 2012 – about 18 years after it was introduced – the QR code was touted as a joke as some companies didn’t know how to use it or failed to reward users with useful info.
Friends Brad Frost and Craig Villamor started a now-defunct website, compiling images of QR codes in misplaced locations such as in subway stations in the United States, where there was no mobile connection. As QR codes require an Internet connection to work, the codes were rendered useless.
In an opinion piece for The Guardian, the duo explained that “being fascinated by the misuse of QR codes” led to the creation of the website, and criticised companies that made it unsafe or impossible for the codes to be scanned.
They said in some cases it was displayed on a bus or car, which they called “a moving target”, as it would be unsafe for a user to scan it unless the vehicle stopped.
It was also sometimes displayed on a billboard or attached to a flying plane, which made scanning the code impossible due to the distance.
They claimed that others agreed with their stance, adding “We think it’s because we’re validating what people have felt all along – that the codes are there for the benefit of the advertiser, not the person scanning them and that, most of the time, QR codes are pretty stupid.”
Beyond barcodes
However, the reason for the development of the QR code was anything but silly.
In 1992, engineers at Denso Wave, a vehicle manufacturing company in Japan, were asked to develop a faster scanner for barcodes, which was widely used in many types of industries to identify products.
At the time, barcodes could only hold data for about 20 characters which meant workers had to scan about 1,000 codes a day, making work less efficient, according to the Denso website.
Instead of looking into how to improve the scanner, Denso Wave chief engineer Masahiro Hara saw the need for a new code that could overcome the limitations of the barcode system.
Hara, in an interview with Nippon.com, said that a box could have up to 10 barcodes, each with information for a vehicle part.
“Employees got tired of having to scan boxes multiple times, and this led us to come up with a code that would enable a large volume of information to be conveyed in a single scan,” he said to Nippon.com.
Information in barcodes can only be coded in one direction – horizontally – which limited the amount of data it could hold.
Hara wanted a system that could be coded in two directions – vertically and horizontally – to contain more data.
One of the biggest challenges of developing the QR code was coming up with the right shape because if a scanner detects a similar design around the code, it would have trouble identifying the correct one.
Hara’s team began to search for the perfect ratio of white to black areas by looking at characters on printed media such as magazines and leaflets.
The team came up with the 1:1:3:1:1 ratio which determined the widths of black and white areas in the three corners of the QR code.
This ratio also allowed scanners to detect the code accurately regardless of the scanning position.
The QR code was finally launched in 1994 and was hailed for being able to store approximately 7,000 figures, including Kanji and Japanese characters, and could be scanned more than 10x faster than other codes.
If you haven’t guessed it, QR stands for quick response.
In a snap
Hara, in a research paper on the development and popularisation of the QR code, explained that the mobile phone helped to push its usage beyond the manufacturing industry.
In 2002, Japan began releasing mobile phones with a camera (remember flip phones?) that could read QR codes which were mostly printed in magazines and newspapers. Readers could scan them for links to various websites.
By 2004, Japanese elementary school children started learning how to scan QR codes on objects in a classroom using mobile phones, according to a research paper by Damien J. Rivers on how people adapted to it.
He noted that it was useful because people could transfer info such as website addresses and contact numbers to their phone without having to type them out.
In 2011, a local publisher told The Star that the level of awareness for QR codes was still minimal in Malaysia.
It was introduced to promote mobile marketing and was described as a bridge between print and electronic media. A print story, for instance, will carry a QR code to more content online such as images and videos.
In the same year, PayPal held a demonstration for mobile payment via QR codes for visitors at an expo in Kuala Lumpur.
The adoption of QR code began to grow rapidly once local entities started adopting it such as the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) which unveiled a QR code with the Petronas Twin Towers etched in the design.
It was also used as part of a regulatory measure in 2015 when the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) made it compulsory for businesses to display their licence with a QR code for the public to easily view the company name, address, nature of business and licence period.
It wanted the public to become its eyes and ears to monitor the wrongful use of business licences in Petaling Jaya.
It was also used for augmented reality (AR) – in 2018, for instance, Maxis joined in the fun with ang pow packets that included a QR code that when scanned, displayed a lion dancing on the phone.
Can’t touch this
Though the QR code was ridiculed for not offering useful info, it was probably just ahead of its time.
Now, it’s helping the nation keep track of people’s movements for contact tracing purposes during the pandemic.
For instance, during the movement control order (MCO) when shopping complexes were allowed to operate again, some like 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya started using QR codes for check-ins.
Visitors were urged to download its mobile app, scan the QR code at the mall and fill an online health declaration form.
They were given a green QR code if they were deemed safe, which can be used to enter outlets in the mall without manually registering.
The government standardised this approach when it introduced a check-in feature in the MySejahtera app in June.
The app has since been updated to include a history of the user’s check-ins and a hotspot tracker for viewing outbreaks 1km within the user’s location.
Authorities can also request a user to use the app to create a unique QR code which will allow them to view the user’s details, including his or her risk level.
When dining-in was allowed again during the recovery MCO, some restaurants such as Nando’s and Foremula started asking their customers to scan a QR code to view their menu to limit contact.
Now, the public is also required to scan QR codes before entering places like public parks and schools.
In a report, headmistress Noor Azian Ahmat said students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent Green Lane in Penang have been given cards with QR codes.
“We gave each pupil a new student card with a QR code on it so we can scan to record their temperature and attendance.
“Before entering their classrooms, the pupils’ temperature will be taken and they are encouraged to sanitise their hands regularly,” she said.
The Selangor state government last month introduced Selangkad, which it described as a low-tech contact tracing solution to help differently-abled people.
They can contact it via WhatsApp for assistance to generate a unique QR code that can be printed or saved as an image on the phone.
Instead of having to scan the QR code displayed at the premises, which could be challenging for some, they could instead ask the staff to scan their QR code to check in.
QR codes are also essential for contactless payments, as just about every e-wallet in the country requires them.
Danger of data
However, the QR code is not without its flaws, as it can be easily generated with free online services, creating plenty of room for misuse.
According to a report by Kaspersky, a QR code can be used to hide phishing information because of its ability to store a large amount of data.
Hackers could also use it to trick users into downloading malware or even force a smartphone to send premium text messages.
In 2015, for instance, a QR code on a German condiments company’s product sent a user to an adult website.
It was due to an innocent oversight – the user had scanned the code a few years after the product was released and the promotional campaign had ended.
The company didn’t renew the domain contained in the QR code, which led to an adult company taking over the website address.
In 2018, Nestle Malaysia lodged a police report, claiming an “unlawful attack by a third party” was redirecting users who scanned the QR code on some of its Maggi products to offensive content online.
The fact that QR codes can be misused didn’t escape its creator.
On the 25th anniversary of the QR code in 2019, Hara reflected how his invention had come a long way from the boxes in manufacturing plants to being displayed in public places to help users perform tasks such as making payments with smartphones.
In a special feature by Denso Wave, he said he never imagined that the QR code could be used as a fashion statement on clothing items or as a permanent fixture at different cities throughout the world.
He also raised concerns about the security issues surrounding the QR code such as how it could lead to personal data being compromised.
“With that in mind, I will work to develop a QR code with even more advanced security so people can use it with peace of mind.”
As for the future of the QR code, the 63-year-old Hara said he had an idea to make the information within the square accessible offline to enable communication during unfortunate events.
“It might be worth revisiting as it’s not possible to exchange data in the aftermath of a major disaster, when power outages happen and telecommunications infrastructure has been damaged,” he added.
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