Email Forward Spreads Lies About Barcodes

Another example of why all email forwards should be stamped out: A particularly loonie one that is circulating now claims that “the first three digits” of a product’s barcode always indicate the product’s country of origin.

According to GS1, a nonprofit organization that works to create uniform standards (like barcodes) for supply chains, the email could mislead consumers into unintentionally “boycotting” products they would normally buy.

The email appears to be an effort to get people to “buy American.” But because there are different formats for different barcodes, xeniphobic consumers are being misled.

The first digits of a barcode sometimes do indicate the country where a barcode is issued, but it “tells you nothing about where the product was made, said Bob Noe, chief customer officer for GS1 US, in a statement. “The claim is somewhat grounded in reality, but just enough to be dangerous, even if you’re reading it correctly, which is not a safe assumption.”

GS1 is “concerned that some companies are going to lose sales as a result of this misguided email,” Noe said. That might be a stretch, but still — it’s always a good idea to stamp out Internet rumors as soon as they start.

Now, if we can just do something about email forwards containing dumb-blond jokes.