China Rating Citizens

The Chinese government plans to being a nationwide system, the Social Credit System, giving each of its citizens a score based on their behavior in 2020. A document from the State Council of China published in 2014 was the first to state such intentions. This system is based on a variety of criteria ranging from financial credibility and criminal records to social media accounts.

Aimed at “strengthening and innovating social governance”, the new system looks to aid in implementing core socialistic values. The purpose for the new system isn’t only economically based, but it “is a deliberate effort by the Chinese government” to promote patriotism, respecting the elderly, working hard, and avoiding extravagant consumption.

These scores, as a matter of public record, will be available for everyone to see. Due to the criteria for this score, it will be a quantitative approach at measuring someone’s trustworthiness. The scores are then ranked, which again is public information.

Although it seems like the score doesn’t serve much real world purpose, it will be used to determine eligibility for certain jobs and mortgages. A parents’ score will also determine what schools their children are eligible to attend.

The Chinese government, according to The Wall Street Journal has said it will “allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step.”

China won’t put the system into full swing until 2020, but they have started a voluntary implementation of it to iron out the flaws before a full-scale launch.