Opinion Piece: How Social Credit Systems Will Lead Us Towards A Dystopian Future

By Vivienne Rachmansky on March 26

We’ve all been warned of a near future with technology that would become out of hand and take over. Whether it’s serial killer robots or stalking computer cameras, the possibilities seem endless. And while this future seems far away, it might be closer than we think.

By 2020, China is set to install social credit systems. What do these systems entail? The government wants to track the business and social interactions and assess them to create a “reputation.” This will be one unified system and there will be a single system-wide social credit score for each citizen and business. Some restrictions have already been placed on citizens. The system is considered as a form of mass surveillance which uses big data analysis technology.

Almost as if the citizens are toddlers, people can be rewarded or punished according to their scores. Like private financial credit scores, a person's social scores can move up and down according to their behavior. Some of the ways that China will implement this is by banning you from flying or taking the train. According to Foreign Policy, credit systems monitor whether people pay bills on time, much like financial credit trackers — but also include a moral dimension. Other punishable offences include spending too long playing video games, wasting money on frivolous purchases, and posting on social media.

Beijing News reported that 17 people who refused to carry out military service last year were barred from enrolling in higher education, applying for high school, or continuing their studies. People who refused military service were also banned from some holidays and hotels, showing that vacation plans are fair game too.

This system doesn’t only affect humans, it can hurt your furry friends too! The eastern Chinese city of Jinan started enforcing a social credit system for dog owners in 2017, whereby pet owners get points deducted if the dog is walked without a leash or causes public disturbances. Those who lost all their points had their dogs confiscated and had to take a test on regulations required for pet ownership.

As 2020 quickly approaches, make sure to stay updated on this issue. Maybe, as China continues to install systems like this, other countries will follow. We’ll just have to wait and see what the world and its technology have in store for us.