Bitly: Difference between revisions
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{{CompanyCargo | {{CompanyCargo | ||
|Industry=Software, Information Technology, Technology | |Industry=Software, Information Technology, Technology | ||
|Logo=Bit.ly | |Logo=Bit.ly logo.png | ||
|Description=Bitly is a private technology company offering link management and QR code services, including qr-code-generator.com. | |Description=Bitly is a private technology company offering link management and QR code services, including qr-code-generator.com. | ||
|Website=https://bitly.com/ | |||
|Founded=2008 | |||
|ParentCompany=Spectrum Equity | |||
|Type=Private | |||
}} | }} | ||
==Consumer | |||
Bitly | '''{{Wplink|Bitly}}''' is a link management platform, offering url shortening and QR code generator services. '''Bitly, Inc.''' is a private technology company founded in 2008. | ||
==Consumer impact summary== | |||
'''User privacy:''' Users account credentials was compromised in a data breach. When you create an account, your name, phone number, company name, industry, job title, company size, email address, phone number and sign-in information are collected from you.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://bitly.com/pages/privacy |access-date=30 August 2025 |website=Bitly |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260212014608/https://bitly.com/pages/privacy |archive-date=12 Feb 2026}}</ref> | |||
'''Business model:''' QR codes marketed as "free" on [https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ qr-code-generator.com] later stop working unless a subscription is purchased, resulting in wasted marketing materials and unexpected costs. | |||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
===QR-Code-Generator.com | ===Data breach (''2014'')=== | ||
{{Main|QR-Code-Generator.com | The company suffered from a data breach in May 2014, resulting in 9.3 million of users' access credentials to be compromised.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2014 |title=Bitly link-shortening service 'compromised' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27340494 |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |website=BBC |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230528135648/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27340494 |archive-date=28 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=6 Oct 2017 |title=Bitly |url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Bitly |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |website=haveibeenpwned.com |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251217180150/https://haveibeenpwned.com/Breach/Bitly |archive-date=17 Dec 2025}}</ref> Then-CEO Mark Josephson published a blog post explaining the issue and providing the appropriate safety measures.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Josephson |first=Mark |date=8 May 2014 |title=Urgent Security Update Regarding Your Bitly Account |url=https://blog.bitly.com/post/85169217199/urgent-security-update-regarding-your-bitly-account |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140509101322/https://blog.bitly.com/post/85169217199/urgent-security-update-regarding-your-bitly-account |archive-date=9 May 2014 |access-date=16 Aug 2025 |website=Bitly}}</ref> | ||
===QR-Code-Generator.com "free" QR code lockout (''2025'')=== | |||
{{Main|QR-Code-Generator.com "free" QR code lockout}} | |||
Bitly's qr-code-generator.com advertises "free" QR codes but later disables them unless users pay, breaking printed materials and creating hidden costs for businesses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 Jun 2024 |title=How can I reactivate my QR Codes? |url=https://support.qr-code-generator.com/hc/en-us/articles/7665090677005-How-can-I-reactivate-my-QR-Codes#:~:text=Your%20QR%20Codes%20may%20be,more%20of%20your%20QR%20Codes |access-date=15 Aug 2025 |archive-date=10 Nov 2025 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251110045731/https://support.qr-code-generator.com/hc/en-us/articles/7665090677005-How-can-I-reactivate-my-QR-Codes |website=QR Code Generator Support}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=11 Jun 2025 |title=I received a message saying that my QR Codes will be deactivated. What does that mean? |url=https://support.qr-code-generator.com/hc/en-us/articles/7665013224205-I-received-a-message-saying-that-my-QR-Codes-will-be-deactivated-What-does-that-mean#:~:text=Any%20Dynamic%20QR%20Codes%20you,QR%20codes%20or%20vice%20versa. |access-date=15 Aug 2025 |website=QR Code Generator Support |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251110045716/https://support.qr-code-generator.com/hc/en-us/articles/7665013224205-I-received-a-message-saying-that-my-QR-Codes-will-be-deactivated-What-does-that-mean |archive-date=10 Nov 2025}}</ref> | |||
==Products== | ==Products== | ||
| Line 18: | Line 31: | ||
*QR-Code-Generator.com | *QR-Code-Generator.com | ||
== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | |||
==External links== | |||
*[https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ QR-Code-Generator.com official site] | *[https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ QR-Code-Generator.com official site] | ||
*[https://bitly.com/ Bitly official site] | *[https://bitly.com/ Bitly official site] | ||
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | ||
Latest revision as of 01:36, 26 February 2026
Bitly
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Legal Structure | Private |
| Industry | Software, Information Technology, Technology |
| Also known as | |
| Official website | https://bitly.com/ |
Bitly is a link management platform, offering url shortening and QR code generator services. Bitly, Inc. is a private technology company founded in 2008.
Consumer impact summary
[edit | edit source]User privacy: Users account credentials was compromised in a data breach. When you create an account, your name, phone number, company name, industry, job title, company size, email address, phone number and sign-in information are collected from you.[1]
Business model: QR codes marketed as "free" on qr-code-generator.com later stop working unless a subscription is purchased, resulting in wasted marketing materials and unexpected costs.
Incidents
[edit | edit source]This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Bitly category.
Data breach (2014)
[edit | edit source]The company suffered from a data breach in May 2014, resulting in 9.3 million of users' access credentials to be compromised.[2][3] Then-CEO Mark Josephson published a blog post explaining the issue and providing the appropriate safety measures.[4]
QR-Code-Generator.com "free" QR code lockout (2025)
[edit | edit source]- Main article: QR-Code-Generator.com "free" QR code lockout
Bitly's qr-code-generator.com advertises "free" QR codes but later disables them unless users pay, breaking printed materials and creating hidden costs for businesses.[5][6]
Products
[edit | edit source]- Bitly Link Management Platform
- QR-Code-Generator.com
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Privacy Policy". Bitly. Archived from the original on 12 Feb 2026. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
- ↑ "Bitly link-shortening service 'compromised'". BBC. 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "Bitly". haveibeenpwned.com. 6 Oct 2017. Archived from the original on 17 Dec 2025. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.
- ↑ Josephson, Mark (8 May 2014). "Urgent Security Update Regarding Your Bitly Account". Bitly. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 16 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "How can I reactivate my QR Codes?". QR Code Generator Support. 20 Jun 2024. Archived from the original on 10 Nov 2025. Retrieved 15 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "I received a message saying that my QR Codes will be deactivated. What does that mean?". QR Code Generator Support. 11 Jun 2025. Archived from the original on 10 Nov 2025. Retrieved 15 Aug 2025.