Social network profile to become official ID in China

a reply to: JinMI

If we're to take modern ethics into consideration, I don't think we as a species are ready to have the technology that we are capable of. I think 2018 is going to be an interesting year in that regard.

Me too. In that regard I am shifting investments, receiving formal education, and switching my entire personal infrastructure to accommodate the coming changes.

a reply to: CaptainBeno

I read an amazing article on this the other day...

In China, a Three Digit Score

Basically We-Chat is used to pay bills...ultimately China wants a cashless society. If you pay your bills on time, you get a higher score, which is used to bolster your "social" rating. This social rating can go up or down based on tons of variables...who is on your contact list, whether you have made late payments, have outstanding tickets, all sorts of variables.

It's a fairly lengthy article but very very interesting.

a reply to: kelbtalfenek
Thanks!

Oooo. Sounds daunting to me.

Linked to credit perhaps?

a reply to: CaptainBeno

I'm about halfway through the article and wow. They call it "social credit" and it's waaay more than just linked to financial credit scores. It's basically a credit score for your entire life, with your score linked to everything from your college degrees and bill payment history to the scores of your friends. It's basically everything I described above plus a lot more. I just finished one part where more than 1 million users saw their scores plummet because they'd defaulted on court fees.

So far, the article says there are 8 companies licensed to create their own "social credit" systems and the central govt wants the entire population (officials included) to be included in its own social credit system by 2020-ish. The article also says that before these systems, which are only a few years old, China didn't have a 3rd party credit score system at all. And that's why so many people paid in cash there & could barely ever get credit cards or bank loans.

So this social credit system is opening up banking and social opportunities to all of its population nationwide, all while completely skipping the "banking based on credit scores" phase that we have in the US. I can see both good and bad elements to it. Hmmm...

ETA: The very next paragraph says the following:

The State Council has signaled that under the national social credit system people will be penalized for the crime of spreading online rumors, among other offenses, and that those deemed “seriously untrustworthy” can expect to receive substandard services. Ant Financial appears to be aiming for a society divided along moral lines as well. As Lucy Peng, the company’s chief executive, was quoted as saying in Ant Financial, Zhima Credit “will ensure that the bad people in society don’t have a place to go, while good people can move freely and without obstruction.”

Hmmm...

originally posted by: CaptainBeno
a reply to: kelbtalfenek
Thanks!

Oooo. Sounds daunting to me.

Linked to credit perhaps?

It's beyond credit. They are calling it a "social" score. It's credit, reliability, honor, and status. From the article it seems as though this is very important to the Chinese...I'll have to ask my friends in China about it and see what they say.

I've been reading that China is implementing a rating system for its citizens based on things like wealth, purchase history (beer and gaming might reduce your points), political ties, social ties, and more. People without high enough ratings will not be able to access things like travel or living in the city, as far as I know. People with high ratings will get rewards and discounts.

With the computing power and technology we have nowadays, I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese would be rated for things like browsing history, looking at porn, and more. China doesn't like gaming, either - they outlawed game consoles from 2000 to 2015 because they thought they were a threat to society. So it is entirely possible that those going to gaming cafes will lose points. This seems like a totalitarian system.

There are episodes in both Black Mirror and The Orville that discuss issues similar to this.

a reply to: kelbtalfenek

Coolest thing ever, that China social credit score! We badlyneed that in the US.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: kelbtalfenek

Coolest thing ever, that China social credit score! We badlyneed that in the US.

While I understand your point, this is not a good thing IMO. Your own score is tied with the scores of your "contacts" list on your phone. I mean we all have that one friend, or cousin, or brother, or whatever that could be used against us... Not to mention that the score has ties to the Communist party.

a reply to: intrptr

Off topic but i can't help but nod my head. Cities is where it all started going wrong.

Sorry for the pointless interruption peeps.

originally posted by: skalla
a reply to: intrptr

Off topic but i can't help but nod my head. Cities is where it all started going wrong.

The truth isn't 'off topic'. The fabricated enemies are what generate the enormous revenue for the Corporatocracy and the Military Industrial Complex.

Thats what is behind the labeling and 'our side vs. their side' rhetoric. Gottakeep fear alive.

When the reality is, all nations of the world run their 'states' like a business. The kings are in the highest walled castles (sky scrapers) in the center of the Fiefdom (cities), surrounded by their peasants in Urban Sprawl.

a reply to: TonyS

I don't know, man. Maybe if we had a 6 month "learn the system" period , everyone's record started fresh, and nothing counted until people are legally adults.

After reading the article that kelbtalfenek linked, I think China's version goes a few steps too far. They'd probably include stuff like juvenile records & any trouble people got in while in grade school. And anyone with parents who have bad credit or non-college educated parents would already have their scores dragged down, even though those are no fault of the individual.

There would be all kinds of constitutional challenges against China's version if it were brought here, including 1st Amendment, 4th Amendment, and 14th Amendment related cases.

a reply to: enlightenedservant

Thanks for the response and the insights.

Yea, all legitimate problems, especially the rights of juveniles. The constitutional concerns, I dont know. If its handled like the current credit score system, i.e., by private concerns rather than the government?

I have a feeling its coming.