NYC QR Codes: A Disturbing Twist

Fake QR codes offering free food and drinks at popular NYC chains like McDonald's and Starbucks are leading unsuspecting users to graphic videos of injured children and anti-Israel propaganda. This deceptive tactic, employed by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, is causing significant concern.

<img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/phony-qr-code-sticker-claims-95614392.jpg?w=1024" alt="Phony QR code sticker claiming to offer free food posted on the window of a McDonald's in New York, used to share anti-Israel messages">

The stickers, spotted at various Midtown locations, lure victims with promises of freebies. A video from the group NJ PalAction, responsible for the campaign, explains its strategy to target storefronts, attracting shoppers with coupon codes.

<img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/njpalaction-mo-hamz-mo-hamzeh-95669452.jpg?w=613" alt="A person sticking a QR code reading &quot;free drinks&quot; on a Midtown Starbucks window.">

One QR code at a McDonald's displayed a flyer accusing the company of "war crimes" and "McGenocide" for serving the Israeli Defense Forces. Similar deceptive stickers also advertised free Stanley tumblers in Bryant Park.

NJ PalAction is even encouraging donations to organizations with reported ties to terrorist groups, offering PDFs of the deceptive stickers to those who donate.

<img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/njpalaction-mo-hamz-mo-hamzeh-95669453.jpg?w=534" alt="An injured, bleeding child seen getting medical attention, in a screenshot from a pro-Palestine BDS campaign."><img src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/njpalaction-mo-hamz-mo-hamzeh-95669454.jpg?w=686" alt="A white Starbucks coffee cup with a red X and &quot;boycott&quot; written on it over warzone image.">

The campaign has sparked outrage, particularly the potential exposure of children to such disturbing content. Legal concerns regarding vandalism and intellectual property infringement are also raised.

The Legal Ramifications

Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at The Lawfare Project, calls the campaign an act of "Jew hatred" and expresses concern over the disinformation spread, emphasizing the need for affected companies to take legal action.