MCMC shuts down Mad Labs following Nestlé QR codes fiasco

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has shut down Mad Labs, a technology-based R&D company in Malaysia, following a report from Nestlé Malaysia regarding the QR codes that appear on certain Nestle products.Managing director and owner of Mad Labs, Ron Chow, confirmed the move to A+M, adding that MCMC has instructed MYNIC to bring down the website."We are in the midst of contacting the relevant authorities involved to understand fully the reasons behind their action and how we can get the site back online as it is affecting the operations and continuity of my business," Chow said.A+M has also reached out to MCMC for comment.Earlier this week, MCMC received a report from Nestlé Malaysia regarding the QR codes that appear on certain Nestlé products. According to the advisory notice, MCMC said it is currently looking into the matter.“In the interim, the public are advised to be vigilant while surfing the site linked to the said QR code,” the notice added. This comes after QR codes on some MAGGI products, such as cup noodles and MILO, allegedly linked consumers to offensive and sexual content, including online gambling sites, instead of Nestlé MAGGI Malaysia’s website.Earlier this month, a Nestlé Malaysia’s spokesperson told A+M that the company has filed a police report after it saw an “unlawful attack by irresponsible parties” hoping to discredit its reputation.This comes after QR codes on some MAGGI products, such as cup noodles, allegedly linked consumers to offensive and sexual content, including online gambling sites. This led to some netizens taking to MAGGI Malaysia’s and Nestlé Malaysia’s Facebook pages to comment on the matter.The spokesperson told A+M in an exclusive statement, that Nestlé Malaysia was alerted to this incident when some of the QR codes on MAGGI products were found to be diverted by a third party agency to offensive content and possible malware when scanned, instead of Nestlé MAGGI Malaysia’s website.