The next connected device could be the shirt you're wearing

A T-shirt has always been able to tell you something about the person wearing it. Maybe it shows a favorite band, sports team or funny message. Now, it can potentially open an entire digital profile. That is the idea behind ShareAScan, a startup using QR code clothing to connect apparel and other physical products with digital content that can change over time.

Scan a code with your smartphone, and you can see whatever experience the owner has chosen to share. That might include text, photos, video, music, a portfolio, social content or information about a business. The shirt itself does not contain a battery, Bluetooth connection or hidden computer. The technology starts with a printed QR code and the web platform behind it. So, could the next connected device actually be something you wear?

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EMPTY ENVELOPES IN YOUR MAILBOX? DO NOT SCAN THAT CODE

The basic idea is simple. ShareAScan prints a unique QR code on products such as T-shirts, hoodies, hats, mugs and other merchandise. A person scans the code using the camera already built into a smartphone. No special scanning app is required.

However, the interesting part happens behind that code. Instead of permanently tying the printed QR code to one piece of content, ShareAScan lets the owner change what appears later. The physical code stays the same while the digital experience behind it changes. For example, someone could use a shirt to share a portfolio at a conference and later update the content to promote a project or event.

The company describes its technology as a patent-pending platform connecting physical products with dynamic, user-controlled digital identities. Its September announcement says a single product can become a changing introduction, portfolio, personal message or business card. That makes the concept more interesting than simply printing a website address across your chest.

ShareAScan was founded by sisters Shara and Kailey Zuckerman. Shara is a college student studying business, finance and artificial intelligence, while Kailey is still in high school. The company got a major dose of exposure this month when its QR merchandise was included in gift bags distributed around the 78th Emmy Awards. ShareAScan merchandise went into gift bags for nominees, presenters and performers. Still, the bigger story goes beyond an awards-show gift bag. It is another example of physical products gaining a digital layer that can change long after you buy them.

There are plenty of ways people could use this. A business owner could wear a shirt that introduces a company. A creator could share recent work. Someone at a conference could use it as a digital introduction. Meanwhile, a musician could share new content or an organization could promote an event. Because the material behind the QR code can change, the same physical product can serve different purposes over time.

ShareAScan says purchases start at $19 and current customers do not pay an ongoing subscription fee. The company also tells CyberGuy that customers who buy under the current model will not later face a subscription charge even if its terms change for future customers. That gives the physical product something most ordinary clothing never had before: content that can keep changing after you take it home.

ShareAScan tells CyberGuy that scans are anonymous. The company says it collects no information about the scanner unless an owner's access restrictions require it to check whether that scanner is allowed to view the content.

If someone does not have permission, the company says that person simply does not receive access. ShareAScan also says it does not currently give the wearer scan analytics. In other words, wearing one of these products does not give you a dashboard showing who walked by and scanned your code. The company says owners can choose who gets access to their content and can completely delete their account and associated data.

However, there is still another side to privacy: what you decide to reveal. If you make your full name, workplace, photos, social accounts or other personal information publicly available, someone who scans you may learn quite a bit. That is why anyone using connected clothing should look at the experience from a stranger's point of view before wearing it in public.

QR CODE EMAIL SCAM TARGETS EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

This required an important clarification from the company. ShareAScan tells CyberGuy that its QR codes cannot point directly to an outside website. Instead, scanning the code first opens the experience hosted through its platform. However, content within that experience can include links. The company says it scans uploads for malicious links, phishing links, pornography and other inappropriate material. It also says people review flagged material.

ShareAScan acknowledges that its screening cannot catch everything. That makes its setup different from a random QR sticker that directly sends your browser to an unknown website. Even so, you should never treat every QR code as automatically safe simply because scanning has become second nature.

The FTC continues to warn about criminals using QR codes to send people to fake websites designed to steal passwords, financial information and other personal data. In a fresh warning published Sept. 3, the agency again advised people to inspect the destination before opening a QR link. So, the familiar security advice still applies whenever you pick up your phone to scan something.

Connected clothing could naturally catch the attention of younger users, especially when it links fashion with social content. ShareAScan tells CyberGuy that account holders must be at least 18 years old.

At the same time, the company acknowledges that an age requirement cannot completely stop someone younger from trying to create an account. That makes conversations about public sharing especially important for families. A QR code someone wears outside can potentially expose information to people they have never met.

A scannable shirt also has to hold up to everyday wear. ShareAScan says its QR codes have been tested through repeated washing and continue to scan after normal use. Of course, a QR code still needs to remain physically readable. Heavy damage, fading or distortion could eventually interfere with any printed code.

There is another longevity issue too. Unlike a normal graphic on a shirt, this feature depends on the online platform behind it. ShareAScan says it plans to keep the platform operating and has purchased insurance intended to help support continued operation. That is worth keeping in mind with any connected product that depends on a company's servers long after the initial purchase.

QR codes are already everywhere, from tickets and restaurant tables to payment screens and packages. Now, they are starting to show up on the things we wear. ShareAScan takes that familiar technology and gives it a more personal use. Instead of linking to one fixed piece of information, the code can connect to content that the owner changes over time.

That means a sweatshirt could introduce your business at a conference, while a T-shirt could share your latest project, interests or something you simply want people to know about you. A quick scan could even become an easy way to start a conversation. But once your clothing can share information about you, it is worth thinking about exactly what you are putting out there. Anything you make public could potentially be seen by someone you have never met.

AI CHATBOT PRIVACY: WHAT YOUR AI MAY KNOW ABOUT YOU

If clothing is going to become scannable, a few simple precautions can help you share without giving away too much.

Start with your public profile. Look at exactly what appears to someone who does not know you. Avoid exposing your home address, private phone number, personal email or other sensitive information.

Review who can access your content. ShareAScan says owners can limit access, so use those controls when you want to share something with a smaller group.

Create content specifically for public sharing. That can help you avoid giving strangers access to personal accounts filled with years of photos, posts or identifying information.

Treat QR codes like links. ShareAScan says it screens content on its platform, but QR codes in general can still lead to trouble. If anything asks for a password, payment information or other sensitive data unexpectedly, stop.

Look at the address your phone shows before opening a QR link. The FTC recommends checking for misspellings and switched letters that can signal an impersonation site.

Install and keep strong antivirus software active on your devices. It can help detect malicious links, phishing pages, dangerous downloads and other threats you may encounter after scanning a QR code. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com. Also, keep your phone's built-in security protections and software updates turned on too. No security tool can make every QR code safe, so always check where a code is taking you before entering passwords, payment information or other sensitive data.

What I like about this idea is how simple it is. There is no battery, Bluetooth or complicated hardware inside the shirt. The QR code does the work, and the person wearing it can keep changing what people see after they scan. ShareAScan also says it has built in some useful controls. Scans are anonymous, owners can limit who sees their content and the code itself does not send you straight to an outside website. The company also says it checks uploaded content for malicious material. The bigger question is how much of yourself you want to make scannable. If your shirt becomes part of your digital identity, take a minute to look at exactly what a stranger could learn about you before you wear it out the door.

Would you wear a shirt that could turn a quick QR scan into a new connection? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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