It was in 2014 for the first time that the Chinese government announced its “social credit system” project aimed at setting up a national system to rate its citizens. Indeed, this project consists in assigning a score to each citizen, based on data available to the government on the Chinese. The system is based on a mass monitoring tool and uses Big Data analytics technologies. It also helps to rate companies operating in the Chinese market.
The system will have to be fully operational in 2020, but it is already tested on millions of people. Like private credit scores, a person’s social score may increase or decrease depending on their behavior. In particular, it can decrease in the case of offenses such as bad driving, smoking in non-smoking areas, buying too many video games and posting fake news online. The method of scoring remains secret.
This program can reward or punish the citizen at the same time, but for the moment, the sanctions to which the citizen is exposed are frightening, undermining his basic needs. As sanctions, we can mention inter alia the ban on taking the plane or the train. Indeed, based on official statistics, Channel News Asia claims that nine million people with low ratings have been denied the right to buy airline tickets for flights in the territory.
As other sanctions, the ban or the lack of access to the best schools. According to Beijing News, seventeen people who refused to perform military service last year were banned from enrolling in higher education, applying for high school or pursuing further studies. . In addition, people with low social credit would not be allowed to enroll their children in some private schools.
In addition, the prohibition of executive positions in state-owned enterprises and big banks is possible in the case of certain crimes such as fraud and embezzlement. Also, companies will be able to consult a blacklist before hiring people or giving them contracts, which is encouraged by the government. However, individuals will be notified by the courts before being added to the list and may appeal the decision within ten days of receiving the notice.
Read more at Businessinsider.
