A Study on Security Challenges and Adoption Trends of QR Code in India

In India, QR codes are used for delivering digital services such as payments, identity, retail, healthcare and public services. The rapid adoption of QR codes can be attributed to the common availability of smartphones, low costs of QR code implementation, and demand for contactless transactions and services during COVID-19 pandemic. However, in their rapid deployment, these systems have introduced security and privacy questions that remain largely unaddressed in the academic literature. The present study investigates the QR code adoption trends, and explores the security issues and concerns involved in the use of QR codes in everyday digital transactions. The study used a combination of quantitative survey, semi-structured interviews from key industry stakeholders, and a case study of popular QR codebased applications in India. The research surveys user awareness, existing user protection mechanisms, and the level of exposure of various QR systems to phishing, malicious redirection, data leakage and exposure, and unauthorized access or control. Conclusions reached are that while QR technology has had positive impacts on service accessibility and efficiency, static architecture and weak user verification practices have prevented common trust in the technology. The study provides insights on integrating QR codes in a more secure and sustainable way into India's emerging digital payment ecosystem