Recently, some students at Shandong Normal University in Jinan reported that the dormitory doors have been installed with new smart locks. Students are required to obtain a campus SIM card and choose to pay 5 yuan per month to activate the smart lock function. This allows them to open the door directly by a simple tap. Otherwise, they need to scan a QR code and watch a 15-second advertisement before the door unlocks.
As evidence, a student published their chat record with the staff responsible for issuing SIM cards on the internet. The student also shared a video demonstrating the entry process: after scanning the QR code, two options appear on the screen – a payment box for “unlocking convenience for 5 yuan per month” and a button for “watching a 15-second video to unlock for free.” Choosing the latter option plays an advertisement on the screen.
The students at the university complained, “How is this any different from highway robbery? We come here to study, not to pay ‘tolls’ to the school!”
Subsequently, a staff member at the university explained that the advertisement content serves as a “dormitory safety guideline” and is done with the students’ safety in mind. However, students questioned, “Who needs to review the safety guidelines every time they enter the dormitory? If it’s truly for safety, why not post it on the bulletin board downstairs? This is clearly a disguised way to extort money!”
Some students expressed concerns about the safety hazards this measure could cause: “What if there is a sudden fire in the dormitory building and thick smoke makes it hard to see? Will firefighters have to wait for the video to finish before they can open the door? If a classmate suddenly falls ill, will the ambulance have to wait for the advertisement to finish before entering the dormitory to provide assistance?”
After this news came to light, it sparked discussions among netizens. Some questioned, “Shandong Normal University has a whopping 33,000 students… if the majority compromise, it would amount to over 1.6 million yuan in a year! Whose pocket is this money really going into?”
Other netizens criticized the situation, calling it a “comprehensive harvest,” labeling the school as “having no bottom line,” showing an “ugly side,” and that “everything has gone downhill, all about money.”
On the evening of August 21st, Shandong Normal University issued a statement to clarify that the information circulating on the internet is untrue. Only a small number of dormitories have recently had smart locks installed but are not yet officially activated. The school also provides three free unlocking methods: access cards, mechanical keys, and QR code scanning, all of which are “without any advertisements or waiting.”