Fighting scams starts in school

From hidden cameras in toys to QR code tricks, students experience hands-on lessons that turn digital curiosity into online caution, Meng Shuyan reports.

In the auditorium of Beijing's Haidian Experimental Primary School, a fluffy panda toy sat innocently in the hands of Zhang Haitao, the director of the school's information center — until he revealed the secret hidden inside.

"It looks fine, doesn't it?" he asked. Then he pointed to the large screen behind him, where a live feed from a hidden camera in the panda's eyes suddenly appeared. Gasps of surprise rippled through the rows of students.

The demonstration didn't stop there. Zhang invited two students to the stage to scan a QR code printed on a poster for a shared power bank. He then asked them to take a photo of him. Within moments, he pulled up the phones' photo galleries on his computer — revealing that scanning the QR code had given him control over the devices.

He went on to show how easily the devices' microphones could also be accessed.

"Curiosity is your greatest asset," Zhang told the students. "But it can just as easily put you in danger."

The students sat in rapt silence, hanging on his every word.

Zhang noted that for today's so-called "digital natives", understanding online threats and navigating the digital world safely has already become a core skill — a need addressed by the 2025 Beijing National Cybersecurity Week, held from Sept 15 to 21 across schools in Beijing. At the primary school level, for example, digital safety modules have been integrated into two fundamental courses.

"But classroom teaching alone is not enough," Zhang said. "Only through interactive demonstrations and hands-on practice do abstract risks become real, helping students build their first layer of protection online."