China's Black Mirror moment
Excerpt: China's 1.4 billion people are getting "social credit" scores that rate their trustworthiness — and determine their place in society. Here's everything you need to know: What is social credit? It's similar to the credit score system familiar to many Americans, but along with financial information, China's version will take account of a person's political activity, social interactions, and purchase history. All that data is fed into a computer algorithm that calculates a citizen's trust score. Take care of your parents, pay your bills on time, and give to charity and you'll be rewarded with a high rating, which can get you access to visas to travel abroad and good schools for your children. Run a red light, criticize the government on social media, or sell tainted food to consumers and you could lose access to bank loans, government jobs, and the ability to rent a car. Beijing aims to have the program running by 2020; pilot versions are underway in some 30 cities. "This is like Big Brother," said Chinese novelist and social commentator Murong Xuecun, "who has all your information and can harm you in any way he wants."
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