The Dangerous Implications Of China’s Social Credit System
Background Of The Social Credit System
Is China's Social Credit system a method to get the best out of a country or is it a way to gain control over 1.4 billion people? (Rettinger, 2021) To evaluate China’s Social Credit System you have to look at what the system really is, and the reasoning for its creation. The idea behind this system truly emerged in 2007 with the goal of it being an opt in system by 2014. (Kobie, 2019) The framework of this system emerges behind the ideas of business integrity, government and judicial integrity, and social integrity for its citizens. To measure social integrity China collects data to evaluate China’s businesses, governmental systems, and social reliability. The Government and Judicial aspect makes sure that the information collected from China's businesses and people flows throughout the central, provincial, and municipal areas of the country. They do this to build trust in the government by publicizing issues of wrongdoing whether that be from their citizens or businesses. In China there are major issues surrounding businesses through food scandals, pollution and employees not being paid. (Kobie, 2019) Therefore, business evaluations are based on major contingencies like products not being satisfactory and that they are not hiking up prices. The most profound impact of the Social Credit System comes through the idea of social integrity. This is mainly due to the fact that China's population totals 1.4 billion people making it eighteen percent of the world. (Rettinger, 2021) The ability to monitor a massive population implies that monitoring systems can be implemented worldwide. Simply put, social integrity evaluates China's citizens to make sure they are reliable within the rules put in place. In the United States we have systems like credit scores which measure our reliability to repay debts, and uber scores which give us scores on our behavior in another's vehicle. China’s Social Credit System has decided to expand this to all walks of life to determine if you are reliable under their rules. Ultimately, was this system created with the interest of humanity or to gain power over humanity? Ultimately, The Chinese Communist Party created this system with the interest of power over a population rather than promoting business, governmental, and social reliability. To gain power over China’s citizens the Social Credit System operates through three major functions; the elimination of privacy, the denial of various freedoms, and maintaining political control.
Overview Of China's Social Credit System
To evaluate the Social Credit System you have to look at the overlaying structure and the specific rules that makeup the system. The Social Credit System begins by giving each individual 1000 points in which they can go either above or below. (Tye, 2020) Going below deems you an untrustworthy citizen while going above establishes you as an honorary citizen. The categories in which you fall determines the quality of your life with each giving their own rewards and downfalls. Ultimately, falling low on the totem pole can lead to the removal of privileges like overseas travel, professional qualifications, and even your job. Having high points allows you to access privelages like school priority, and health priority. The classes begin with the AAA/AA (1050 points or more); A+/A/A- (960-1029 points); B (850-959 points); C (600-840 points), and D (599 points or less). (Tye, 2020) There are hundreds of ways to gain or lose points in the Social Credit System. Some may be considered fair while many are considered disastrous. Using social media to promote negative information on the government (-50 points), tax evasion (-100 points), driving above the speed limit(-10 points), receiving national level reward (+100 points), illegally holding your own classes (-50 points), tombstone too big (-100 points), sharing information on how long someone lives in your community (+3 points), resolving issues between neighbors (+10 points), if you don't accept investigation from government officials (-20 points), and dancing in a town square or playing with a spinny top (-5 points). (Tye, 2020) In this system there are laws that can promote civil reliability. However, the number of laws that infringe on the liberty of human beings is what makes this system so dangerous.
The Removal Of Privacy
Some prefer to live private lives while some prefer public lives, China has managed to remove this option. Looking at the function of this system is enough to make someone believe that this system invades the privacy of a human being. In China there are around 626 million surveillance cameras which track people through facial and voice recognition to identify each individual, and this number should only expect to grow. (Rettinger, 2021) There are cameras in areas like classrooms, train stations, streets, and subways watching everything you are doing making sure you are not committing certain actions like running a redlight. “A Western corporate executive leaving China faced a fine after an SCS search claimed she ran a traffic light and failed to pay the fine. A diplomatic source familiar with the incident said the executive’s only crime was that her face appeared in a photograph that was part of a bus advertisement and was captured by a surveillance camera when the bus ran the light.” (Gertz, 2019) The surveillance systems watch every little action a person makes. If someone does anything; jaywalking or running a redlight their action will be documented. With such small actions being categorized as illegal it brings up the question on the functionality of these surveillance cameras. Surveillance AI systems used throughout the world and specifically in China have been reported to misinterpret who actually committed the crime. Additionally, these systems have been proven to hold certain biases against people of color. (Kantayya, 2020) This can create the issue of falsely accusing someone of a crime therefore, leading to the invasion of privacy of an innocent individual. With all of the issues surrounding the accuracy of facial recognition technology it brings up areas of concern. However, we should only expect these surveillance systems methods to increase as technology increases. “In the past, the party relied on a system called “dongan” or personal file - millions of dossiers on citizens filled with personal information ranging from comments made in high school to remarks made to coworkers. The SCS is expected to take the dongan system to new levels of surveillance by the use of advanced technology.” (Gretz, 2019) Worldwide surveillance, and collection of personal data already brings up issues of privacy. However, this is only the beginning of surveillance throughout the country as the Chinese people should expect more surveillance to be instituted across the nation. The surveillance system is just how the system can operate, and the actual laws that govern this system take away privacy in all facets of society.
China has specific privacy rules yet many of them are contradicted in the Social Credit System. The Social Credit System breaks the laws that grant human rights including the China's Constitution of the People's Republic Of China. For example, Article 37 in The People's Republic Of China states "the freedom of person... is inviolable." (Rettinger, 2021) The freedom of person is inviolable: never to be broken. However, the Chinese Social Credit System mandates visits from government officials and if you deny these visits you lose 20 points. (Tye, 2020) Along with this China encourages people to invade their fellow human beings' privacy. For example, if you are to give information on peoples staying times in your community you will gain 3 points on your score. (Tye, 2020) The system encourages everyone, not just the government to invade privacy. The government can break every rule in the book, meanwhile if the citizens do they will be punished. The government can publicize negative information on the public but, if you were to publicize negative information on the government you are punished. If the government were to have a social credit score it would be as low as it gets.
Where your data goes may just be the most dangerous aspect of this system. China broadcasts information on certain individuals as being model or non-model citizens. The score and categories of collection are inconsistent as they vary across local governments with some prohibiting the collection of sensitive data while some allowing it. When you go on a website in the United States you have to consent to your information being collected through systems like cookies. In China most of your personal information will be collected without your consent to evaluate your Social Credit. To publish this data China utilizes their national credits site or provincial sites like China Beijing. Credit China and provincial sites like Credit Beijing have information on unreliable people through blacklists, special attention lists, and administrative punishment lists. The list has full names and explanations for punishment and has 21 categories for corporations. (Rettinger, 2021) Meanwhile, reliable people who fall under the red list have limited information on good deeds to keep economic resources viable because of how limited they are in China. Ultimately, China has no legal definition of the privacy of their citizens making it difficult to challenge intrusive actions. The purpose of this publication is to promote social discipline and frugality. However, the significant amounts of private information collected and published is undeniably an invasion of privacy.
The Removal Of Basic Freedoms
What's a world without freedom and the liberties that allow human beings to prosper? One where you cannot think freely, learn freely, decide your family size, and simply have fun. The various freedoms which allow human beings to prosper is what the Social Credit System is against. If you are a free person you simply cannot function in China's Social Credit System. The first major freedom taken away is freedom of speech. You are not allowed to voice your opinion unless it is pro government. If you do decide to speak negatively about the government you will lose 50 points. (Tye, 2020) Why is this punishment so harsh? It's because China needs to establish their propaganda. With freedom of speech available to 1.4 billion people it would be impossible to establish the Social Credit System. (Rettinger, 2021) Secondly, China has taken away the freedom to learn as an individual. Many of the great minds in the world learned from sources outside of schooling. Whether that be from mentors or reading books. China has decided to ban holding classes that teach you information outside of what the schools teach you. What's the benefit of doing this? To control the information the populous receives to benefit them not you. You can't decide your family size in China through their policy of having two kids or less. China says this policy was established for environmental reasons and its implementation is separate from the Social Credit System. However, if you do decide to have three or more kids you are punished with a loss of 40 points. (Tye, 2020). The purpose of reproduction and raising children may just be the most important aspect of life. It’s what allows you to make an impact on the world by raising children who will become valuable parts of society and the world as a whole. Lastly, the most surprising part of this system is that it removes the idea of fun throughout society. Imagine dancing or playing with a spinning top in public, and you are punished for this. Well China's Social Credit System will take away points for such actions. China's social credit system eliminates the aspects that make great human beings. They want your mind, body, and spirit to be controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. Why does China want to take away human freedoms, and what's the benefit for the government in doing so? If you do decide to embrace your freedoms the Chinese Communist Party will ultimately decide if what you did was right or wrong.
The vagueness of these rules, and the fact that these decisions on the punishments are handed out at the discrimination of the government is what makes the Social Credit System so dangerous. The government can decide what is illegal or not, making you watch every step. Therefore, these rules can be altered into punishments because it's the government in China that has the rule, not the people. “Internet sites with comments sections are required to keep blacklists of people who make "illegal" statements. However, there is a lack of clarity as to what would constitute an illegal statement and there is a plethora of stories recounting the punishment of activists based on comments they have made that are not aligned with the CCP. In practice this means that there really is no freedom of speech, as anyone could be punished based on the subjective determination of a government official that an individual's statement somehow falls into the realm of being "illegal." (Rettinger, 2021) China decides what is illegal or not. What kind of speech, and actions are allowed, and the punishments which follow are not fair by any standard. Being denied travel, denied health priority, school priority, and removal of job and qualifications all are some of the many punishments for not following the rules. The scary part is that there is no framework for these rules. Anyone who commits an action that is not in coordination with the system will be punished. These actions and consequences can be manipulated to assume ultimate power over the people. You're simply not allowed to have freedom in China, and this is what allows them to gain the ultimate goal of this system; control.
The End Goal
The Chinese government did not create this system with the idea of improving reliability across the country. The Social Credit System invades privacy, and takes away nearly every freedom imaginable, for the ultimate goal of control. The elimination of privacy, and freedoms forces you to act a certain way. Acting in this way gives the government complete control over your behavior and actions. The people are aware of this system and know that their freedoms are being taken away. For example, in Hong Kong there was a protest in 2019 where everyone wore masks, spray painted, and destroyed surveillance cameras. (Kantayya, 2020) It's simply human nature to reject your freedoms being taken away. Yet the majority of China is for the Social Credit System. How is China able to gain support from the general population in a system used for the control of its people.
The Social Credit System is simply the final step of establishing a totalitarian system in China. Many may state that the Social Credit System is supported by around 80% of the population. Is this score real, and if it is, how did they earn the public's support? China has set up a way to manipulate and control the population by simply manipulating the narrative of its country. China does this through their firewall and manipulation of the media. China's firewall does not allow foreign articles in their nation. They do not want an opinion from the outside world to show what the reality of their country and more specifically the Socail Credit System is. As the whole CCTV system in China is owned by the government,it allows them to decide if a certain story will be published ultimately, allowing them to manipulate the media. (Rettinger, 2021) Lastly, China does not allow people to speak out and if they do they are punished and deemed unreliable citizens. China makes the people believe that the government is the greatest system ever created. The People in China are living in a false reality of how the world really is due to the manipulation of its media. The fact that a government can manipulate 1.4 billion people which is slightly more than 18% of the world's population is scary for the rest of the world.
Implications For The Future
Yes, the Social Credit System is extremely dangerous but, what is the deeper message behind it. Control and power are evil traits in which the Chinese Communist Party has decided to implement. The implementation of the Social Credit System and its support show the dangers of believing everything you are told. In today's society many lack individual thought. No one questions their beliefs or looks at who puts certain ideas in their head. People just go around believing what they believe to be a part of whether that be a country, religion, or political party. When you look at social media in the United States it has created a political divide where people are forced to align with a certain political party. Generally if you are a democrat you will believe blindly what everyone says on CNN. Meanwhile, if you are a conservative you will believe everything FOX says creating a divide among the population. With China they believe blindly in the government due to their belief that they have the people's interest in mind. As a society, believing the information you are told blindly can have disastrous effects. To counter these systems like the Social Credit System it comes down to the people. Everyone needs to think critically, and act as an individual so that the people of their nation can function to the best of their ability.
The evolution of AI with systems similar to the Social Credit System are emerging throughout the entire world. Just like the Social Credit System these technological systems invade the freedoms and privacy of the individual. Around 117 million people in the US have face recognition. The UK where they have facial recognition setup to identify indivuals just like the Social Credit System. In this system the UK fines people for not showing their face. (Kantayya, 2020) Ultimately, these systems are propelled through the emergence of social media. With the click of a button a company like facebook can pull up almost all of your information. They will know your name, address, income, and relationship. (Lanier, 2018) Yet companies are not called out on this enough. People are blindly giving their data away due to the fact that we are so embedded within our smartphones, specifically social media. All of your data is being collected and then used against you on social media sites. These systems are everywhere and the emergence of technology will not slow down. Yet the question you have to ask yourself is why these systems are emerging across the world? Why are they collecting your data? It seems as if the entire world is following in China's footsteps. Nearly every country has a system similar to the social credit system. They are simply doing it in a more discrete fashion. Every human has similar instincts. Maybe China was testing to see how the mass human population would respond to a system that's detrimental to the lives of the individual. The freedom of the individual is at stake with the emergence of AI technologies. The government cannot control an entire population of freethinkers, however, they can control one of followers.
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