Chrome's HTTPS-First Mode Could Break Email and QR Links Using Plain HTTP

Chrome is moving toward trying HTTPS first for every site, and Google has said users with Enhanced Safe Browsing will see warnings when a site cannot respond over HTTPS. Links in marketing emails that point to tracking hosts still on plain HTTP may therefore trigger a warning page before the destination loads. The article notes that such warnings can drive users to close the tab, and the same assumption affects QR codes, PDFs, invoices, and printed short links that cannot easily be reissued. The author recommends auditing all email templates and printed materials, listing every host including tracking domains, and confirming each one serves HTTPS.