The social credit system was implemented in 2014 and was designed to make sure individuals and businesses in China comply with the country’s laws and regulations. This system gives individuals, business, and government entities a credit score based on their trustworthiness. It is based on many data points, from financial creditworthiness to social factors such as honesty, hard work, and devotion to family. The goal of the Chinese social credit system is to regulate social behavior and ensure that those being documented remain “trustworthy” through actions like paying taxes on time, maintaining proper licenses, abiding by the law, and more.
However, China also has nation and regional blacklists that are based on individual violations. If one has a poor score their ability to travel, gain employment, or access credit can be impacted. Before one is placed on a blacklist they are first placed on an irregularity list to give the business an opportunity to improve their score and reputation. Once placed on a blacklist, it is hard to be removed; one must submit an application and it can take up to two to five years to be removed.
Some positives of this system include its emphasis on the individual’s contribution to making society function well and the importance of good character. Furthermore the system holds citizens and companies accountable. Many articles state that this new system could increase safety in China and fight corruption since all companies including government agencies will be held accountable. However, some have raised concerns that this new system may be considered video monitoring and an invasion of privacy. Another concern also surrounds the algorithm used could perhaps have miscalculations and scoring mistakes that could penalize people unfairly.
Even though there’s no evidence yet that this system has been abused for widespread social control it still remains possible that it could be used to restrict individual rights. The system may be created to sustain a more safe society but once its implemented the line between consequences for business and consequences for individuals could become blurry. Furthermore, evidence indicates that once established with a bad social credit score one is stuck with this burden. This idea could grow out of hand and could becoming threatening to the individual right.
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