Lidl recalls Paw Patrol snacks in UK over inappropriate packaging
- A website on the packaging leads to sexually explicit content
- A lapse in domain ownership could be behind the mistake
- Parents can return the snacks for a refund
A person arrives to go shopping at a branch of Lidl supermarket in south London, on January 10, 2018. Traditional supermarket chains, such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, benefited by between 2% and 3% sales growth in value, but to a much lesser degree than German discount companies Aldi and Lidl (up 16.8 % each) who are taking a larger and larger share of the cake. (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP) (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Discount supermarket chain Lidl recalled Paw Patrol snacks being sold in the United Kingdom after a website on the packaging sent consumers to an explicit website.
The snacks, which included two flavors of Paw Patrol Yummy Bakes and two flavors of Paw Patrol Mini Biscotti, included a link on the package that directed children to a website so parents could have a break while kids browsed online.
Rather than directing families to a kid-friendly website filled with their favorite characters, however, the link instead loaded a page containing advertisements with explicit sexual activities.
According to reporting from TechCrunch, the website loaded an error page or messaging in Chinese with search engine terms on a desktop browser. On a tablet or phone screen, however, visitors were greeted with explicit content.
Lidl did not give details on how the site was compromised, but TechCrunch found the domain is currently registered to a person in Lianyungang, China but appears to have been previously owned by the manufacturer of Paw Patrol products.
That suggests the domain registration lapsed and was bought by a new user while the URL remained on packaging.
Parents who bought the snacks are being urged to return them for a refund and to avoid giving them to their children.
