An elderly resident in Huangshan, Anhui accidentally triggered 20 pop-up ads while attempting to film a performance, resulting in unwanted app installations and failed recording.

Social Context

China’s 2023 ‘Clean Screen’ campaign targets deceptive ad practices violating the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and Cybersecurity Law. Senior-focused digital literacy programs—led by MIIT and local communities—teach identifying fake download buttons and disabling auto-install permissions.

Safety Tip

Elders should enable ‘Unknown Sources’ restrictions, use official app stores only, and install government-certified ad blockers like NetGuard or Tencent Mobile Manager.