Anti-counterfeiting technology has evolved by adding verification layers, not by replacing holograms with digital IDs. Physical marks can give an inspector a feature to check; a code or tag can identify an item or provide access to its data; serialization can distinguish one product from another; and a digital signature can help verify that the associated data came from a trusted source and was not altered. Each layer answers a different question, and none alone guarantees that an item is genuine.
What changed—and what did not
Earlier approaches often focused on making packaging or a product harder to reproduce, or giving inspectors a visible or concealed feature to examine. Holograms, security threads, microprinting, watermarks and UV-reactive inks remain examples. Later systems added machine-readable identification, records of product movement and ways to verify data digitally.
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The important change is that authentication can now combine physical and digital checks. A digital record can be associated with an individual item, while a physical feature can help connect that record to the object in front of the verifier. The physical feature has not become obsolete; its role can be one part of a broader system.
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How the technologies differ
These terms are related, but they are not interchangeable. The distinction matters because a scan, a signature check and a visual inspection establish different things.
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| Technology | What it can do | What it does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Hologram and other physical security marks | Provide a physical feature for visual, tool-assisted or trained inspection. Some are intended for ordinary viewing; others require special illumination or an authorized process. | A visible mark alone does not prove that the object is genuine. |
| Barcode or QR code | Carry or point to an identifier and, depending on the system, provide access to related information. | The code can be copied. A successful scan alone does not authenticate the physical item. |
| RFID or NFC tag | Provide another way to identify or read an item, including in supply-chain workflows. Tag types and frequencies suit different uses. | The presence of a tag alone does not prove genuineness; deployment also needs to account for privacy. |
| Serialization | Assign a distinct identifier to an individual product instance, so the system can associate events with that item. | A unique-looking number is not inherently trustworthy if it is copied or the verification system is poorly governed. |
| Digital signature | Help verify the source and integrity of signed data using an established verification process. | A valid signature on data does not, by itself, prove that the data is physically attached to the genuine object being examined. |
From physical inspection to scannable identification
Physical marks made inspection possible
Security features can be overt, such as a holographic image meant to be noticed, or covert, such as a mark that requires a tool or special illumination. Other examples include colour-shifting inks, security threads, microprinting, watermarks and copy-detection patterns. UNICRI’s 2021 overview of supply-chain security technologies also includes digital watermarks and copy-detection patterns among authentication elements.
Such features may make reproduction more difficult or give an inspector a reason to investigate. Their usefulness depends on the feature, the inspection method and who can perform it; a mark should not be treated as conclusive proof simply because it looks familiar.
Barcodes and QR codes made identification machine-readable
GS1’s historical timeline records the first UPC scan in 1974, the adoption of GS1 DataMatrix in 2003 and approval of the GS1 QR Code in 2011. These developments expanded how products could be identified and read. GS1 also records that more than 1 billion products carried GS1 barcodes in 2023. That figure describes barcode adoption, not the number of products with anti-counterfeiting protections or the effect of barcodes on counterfeiting.
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GS1 Digital Link developments connect QR codes to brand-authorized web information. But a code’s ability to open a page is not the same as verification: a counterfeiter can copy a genuine code and place it on another item. The system needs additional checks to assess whether the scanned code and the physical product belong together.
How item-level identity and traceability add context
A product identifier can refer to a product type; adding a serial number can distinguish one individual item from other items of that type. A traceability system can then associate events with that serial number, building a history of where the item was observed or handled.
That history can help a system flag suspicious patterns. For example, the same serial number appearing in overlapping locations or moving along an implausible route may suggest that an identifier has been copied. GS1’s guidance explains the principle this way: “a real-world macroscopic object cannot simultaneously be in more than one place at one time”. A conflicting observation is a signal to investigate, not conclusive proof of counterfeiting; data quality, timing and the circumstances of the observations matter.
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GS1’s stated industry ambition was for retail systems around the world to be able to read 2D barcodes by the end of 2027. That is a target, not evidence that the milestone has been reached everywhere. The ability to scan a code also depends on compatible systems and the verification workflow behind it.
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A digital signature can help a verifier check whether data was signed by a trusted party and whether it has changed since signing. It protects the data’s source and integrity; it does not automatically authenticate a physical object.
GS1’s Digital Signatures application standard, ratified for publication in the GS1 General Specifications in 2023, supports signed data using established approaches including ISO/IEC 20248, JSON Web Signatures and XML Digital Signatures. In a product-authentication workflow, signed data may include an item-level identifier and a code placed in a physical marking. That arrangement can make the relationship between the record and the object more specific: the identifier names the item, the signature protects the associated data, and the physical marking offers a feature that can be checked on the object.
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A consumer might scan a code with a smartphone and receive a verification result, but the result is only as meaningful as the information and checks behind it. A page displaying product details, a readable code or a valid signature should not be mistaken for proof that the scanned object is authentic unless the system also provides a credible way to associate the data with that object.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where RFID and NFC fit
RFID and NFC offer ways to read identifiers from tags, and can be used alongside other authentication or supply-chain technologies. GS1 describes EPC/RFID as a family of standards for identifying items and other entities, with tag types and frequencies suited to different applications. UNICRI’s overview likewise includes RFID and NFC among technologies used in authentication and supply-chain protection.
A tag can make identification more convenient in a particular workflow, but it is still one component: its presence is not a guarantee of genuineness. GS1’s RFID guidance also says privacy needs should be considered in deployment. The right design depends on who reads the tag, what information it exposes and how access is controlled.
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Why standards and system design matter
A technology works within a system of identifier rules, physical representations, participants and verification procedures. Without coordination, different parties may be unable to interpret or verify the same product information consistently.
- ISO 22378:2022 describes recommendations for identification and authentication systems, including identifier management and verification, physical representation, participant due diligence, and the relationship between identifiers and authentication elements.
- ISO 22381:2018 gives guidance on interoperability among independently functioning product-identification and authentication systems. ISO reported that this edition was reviewed and confirmed in 2024 and remains current.
These standards describe frameworks and guidance; their publication does not mean every industry, country or product uses the same system. Implementation still involves choices about cost, complexity, reader access, privacy, governance and the threat a system is intended to address. Combining technologies may improve the number of checks available, but it also requires those parts to work together.
What “digital ID” means in this context
Here, “digital ID” refers to digital identification and verification associated with a product, not a person’s government identity credential. NIST Special Publication 800-63 Revision 4 addresses identity proofing, authentication and federation for digital identity systems. Those personal-identity concepts and standards are not interchangeable with systems for identifying and authenticating goods.
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There is no universally best technology in the standards and guidance described here. A sensible design depends on the item, the threat, the supply chain and the people expected to verify it. When assessing a system, ask:
- Does the feature help inspect the physical object, identify a product type, distinguish an individual item, verify data, or track supply-chain events?
- Can the code or mark be copied, and what additional check connects it to the object?
- Who is meant to verify it: consumers, supply-chain participants or trained inspectors? What tools or access do they need?
- Can different participants interpret the identifiers and verification results consistently?
- What privacy, governance, implementation-cost and operational-complexity issues arise?
The most useful conclusion is not that digital methods have displaced physical security marks. It is that different layers address different failure points. A physical cue, an item-level identifier, a traceability history and signed data can reinforce one another when they are properly linked and governed, while still leaving verification dependent on the system as a whole.
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