The Department of Mass Media and Advertising in Moscow has implemented a ban on the use of QR codes in outdoor advertising. This decision was made due to concerns about potential violations of the law, particularly in light of the increasing number of hacker attacks.
A document released on December 7 highlights that QR codes leading to internet resources could potentially contain information that violates the Law “On Advertising”. The Department emphasizes that this issue is particularly relevant in the context of hacker attacks and the hacking of information systems and websites.
The Department has reminded advertisers that any violations of advertising laws in Russia can result in administrative responsibility. However, the specific articles of the law that are relevant to this ban have not been disclosed.
RUSS, the largest advertising operator in the country, has acknowledged receiving the notification from the Russian Federation and agrees with the necessity of these measures in light of the increasing cyber attacks and manipulations involving QR codes. It should be noted that QR codes only account for 2% of their advertising shields, so this issue is not widespread and the conversion of banners will not significantly impact the company’s budget.