In an attempt to imbue trust, China has announced a plan to implement a national ranking system for its citizens and companies. Currently in pilot mode, the new system will be rolled out in 2020, and go through numerous iterations before becoming official.
While the system may be a useful tool for China to manage its growing 1.4 billion population, it has triggered global concerns around the ethics of big data, and whether the system is a breach of fundamental human rights.
Today’s infographic looks at how China’s proposed social credit system could work, and what the implications might be.
The Government is Always Watching
Currently, the pilot system varies from place to place, whereas the new system is envisioned as a unified system. Although the pilot program may be more of an experiment than a precursor, it gives a good indication of what to expect.
In the pilot system, each citizen is assigned 1,000 points and is consistently monitored and rated on how they behave. Points are earned through good deeds, and lost for bad behavior. Users increase points by donating blood or money, praising the government on social media, and helping the poor. Rewards for such behavior can range from getting a promotion at work fast-tracked, to receiving priority status for children’s school admissions.
In contrast, not visiting one’s aging parents regularly, spreading rumors on the internet, and cheating in online games are considered antisocial behaviors. Punishments include public shaming, exclusion from booking flights or train tickets, and restricted access to public services.
Big Data Goes Right to the Source
The perpetual surveillance that comes with the new system is expected to draw on huge amounts of data from a variety of traditional and digital sources.
Police officers have used AI-powered smart glasses and drones to effectively monitor citizens. Footage from these devices showing antisocial behavior can be broadcast to the public to shame the offenders, and deter others from behaving similarly.
For more serious offenders, some cities in China force people to repay debts by switching the person’s ringtone without their permission. The ringtone begins with the sound of a police siren, followed by a message such as:
“The person you are calling has been listed as a discredited person by the local court. Please urge this person to fulfill his or her legal obligations.”
Two of the largest companies in China, Tencent and Alibaba, were enlisted by the People’s Bank of China to play an important role in the credit system, raising the issue of third-party data security. WeChat—China’s largest social media platform, owned by Tencent—tracked behavior and ranked users accordingly, while displaying their location in real-time.
Following data concerns, these tech companies—and six others—were not awarded any licenses by the government. However, social media giants are still involved in orchestrating the public shaming of citizens who misbehave.
The Digital Dang’an
The social credit system may not be an entirely new initiative in China. The dang’an (English: record) is a paper file containing an individual’s school reports, information on physical characteristics, employment records, and photographs.
These dossiers, which were first used in the Maoist years, helped the government in maintaining control of its citizens. This gathering of citizen’s data for China’s social credit system may in fact be seen as a revival of the principle of dang’an in the digital era, with the system providing a powerful tool to monitor citizens whose data is more difficult to capture.
Is the System Working?
In 2018, people with a low score were prohibited from buying plane tickets almost 18 million times, while high-speed train ticket transactions were blocked 5.5 million times. A further 128 people were prohibited from leaving China, due to unpaid taxes.
The system could have major implications for foreign business practices—as preference could be given to companies already ranked in the system. Companies with higher scores will be rewarded with incentives which include lower tax rates and better credit conditions, with their behavior being judged in areas such as:
- Paid taxes
- Customs regulation
- Environmental protection
Despite the complexities of gathering vast amounts of data, the system is certainly making an impact. While there are benefits to having a standardized scoring system, and encouraging positive behavior—will it be worth the social cost of gamifying human life?
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When this game comes here(officially, prolly here already) I dont think I am going to do so well.
George Orwell is rolling in his grave.
Red flag gun laws are a method of gun control by which a family member or law enforcement can petition the court to confiscate a person’s firearms on the SUSPICION that the person may present a danger to themselves or others. But it doesn’t necessarily stop there. Some reports indicate that Trump is seriously considering using big tech companies like Amazon and Apple to monitor people’s behavior and link this data to a social credit system similar to the system that already exists in China. Your gun rights could then be determined by algorithms that mark you as a potential risk simply by what you post online.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/red-flag-gun-laws-are-rooted-communist-methods-oppression
“While there are benifits to having a standardized scoring system, and incouraging positive behaviour-will it be worth the cost of gamifying human life?”
LMFAO! Baglicking dog eaters.
The youngest boomer (1946-1964) was born in 1964 making them 55 today. The next group Gen X born (1965-1980) are only 24 million. The youngest millennial is 24 (1980-1995). There is 73 million boomers and 77m millennials. Gen Z born from 1995-2015. There 65 million of them.
The millennials were born in a recession, graduated college in a recession and lived and worked in jobs they were overqualified then 2008 hit. This changed them significantly. They have little worthy job experience and looks bad on a resume. They spent ten years as a coffee barrister and are competing with politically correct newly manufactured/graduates that do not have the negative stigma of being underemployed for years.
Most of Gen x are liberal. Nearly all millennials are left leaning but think they are normal middle of the road. 99% of gen z is totally screwed up. They were born under two idiots Clinton and Obama and in the middle was bush with his bullshit fear tactics of war on terror who brought us the Patriot Act. And govt that was tyrannical.
“They (Gen Z) have created a new Cultural Currency that values uniqueness, authenticity, creativity, shareability and recognition. What’s different for this generation is not as simple as the internet or technology. Technology is an important component, but what’s changed is this generation’s relationship with culture.
All three generations surveyed exhibit similar traits and desire similar skills. However, Gen Z members focus much more time and attention on defining the culture using digital tools. While the focus of the study was on marketing trends, this was an interesting insight that I believe paints a clearer picture of the attitudes and motivators of those in Gen Z.
Regardless of consumption and trends in using technology, there is no doubt that this generation has grown up with the internet. In fact, this is most likely the defining trait of Generation Z, and in my opinion, it is what makes them an awesome group.”
Yes, but not the good type of awesome, but the type that devastates. Their “culture focus” was due to obama. This group will bring in social credit like china by their middle age. They fear freedom because they had helicopter parents and were the first generation to grow up without privacy….video baby monitors were the rage of their parents. They do not share similar values as previous groups. These are the kids of the book (1984) that would gladly turn in their parents to the State unemotionally…
Deep state knows this. Once boomers are weakened by dying off, the voting mass of gen z by 2030, hence the term 2030 initiative formerly the 2020, (because they could have rushed it if the cunt, hillary, had won) the votes will be heavily one sided and there is your end stage of the Fourth Turning.
Chinese type social credit, 5g, 24 hour drones recording all activity above with cameras that can see bloodshot eyes, militarized police, multi tracking devices in cars, phones, watches, even your clothes and fridge. Red flag laws and predictive behavioral pattern technology right out of Hollywood. Bitcoin vs cash to tax every transaction after the collapse and to track every purchase. Many innocent people locked up because their total purchases over time would have allowed political enemies to prove your baking soda and vinegar purchases over time could make one large chemical reaction. And since you are the political enemy of the left running for city council they just need a reason to doxx you, make you a domestic terrorist, and again prove anyone of their opponents are hidden racist wanting to rebuild the old world, old white world where they had power. Culture, remember….is all the focus of gen z.
If you do not see this coming you are blind. Run to the hills. Get off facebook etc. Move beyond the city. Learn skills. Especially how to communicate and hide your feelings. Also how to be smooth so a drone doesn’t catch on to what you are doing. Choose friends wisely. Either fix it now with revolution or decide to try and live out your life with knowing your world in the next decade is gone. After you, they are all slaves but do not even know it. Caged Bird…..they can see outward is all they need because the cage provides them safety. The internet of things is their cage. They will not have to leave and will not want to leave. The govt has them self caging themselves as sheep without a fence, no sheepherder, no sheep dog, but surely there will be govt pedo wolves still in existence…..it will be good to be a power player in govt when these retarded sheep of gen z are the bulk of society.
PS
The company TenCent was one of the Boomers favorite stocks. This is one of the primary companies bring in the Chinese social credit system. Funny how boomers only wanted stocks to make them wealthy but their fav stock is bringing them dystopian future. At least the millennials did look beyond, by one step, and ask if i am supporting the company stock or buying the product do i agree with the company’s philosophy and they made choices from there. Boomers only care about themselves. They are the ultimate generation “me me me “. Selfish.
But, Millenials ARE leaving cities in droves because they want safe streets, good schools, and what their parents had. No generation is ever the “bulk” of society as multiple generations exist together. What comes after Gen Z? How much attention and credence ought we give classifications thought up by tax-exempt twits receiving federal grants or journalist/propagandists? They are unworkable, because rigid.
These do not reflect the variables – the millions of variables – between and among Boomers, GenX, Millenials, etc…. There are extremely progressive Boomers and extremely “deplorable” Boomers. Do you believe they both raised children the same way? Do you believe those kids all think and act the same way?
What about self-employed versus employed by others differences? Doesn’t one’s risk tolerance determine behavior more than generational attitudes? I see that as a major factor in the way people view the government, the world – regardless of the generation. Self-employed people crave freedom. Employed-by-others types crave security. It’s self-defeating to attempt to classify human beings at all for there will always, always be outliers, and probably more of them than we dream.