China Begins Ranking Citizens With “Social Credit” System

In a story that sounds as if it was pulled straight from a dystopian novel, the Chinese government has launched a new “social credit” ranking system designed to monitor the behavior of Chinese citizens.

Under this system, a Chinese citizen’s social credit score can move up or down depending on the behavior that they engage in. For example, smoking in public, driving infractions, speaking poorly about the government, and purchasing too many video games are all behaviors that will lower a Chinese citizen’s social credit score.

If a person’s social credit score gets too low, the Chinese government has a list of considerable consequences designed to punish them for their low score. These punishments include things such as being banned from public transportation, having their internet speed throttled, having their children banned from the best schools, and even having their dog taken away.

Right now, China’s social credit system is in its pilot phase. However, the system is expected to be fully operational by 2020. Once the system is fully operational, participation in the system will be mandatory for all Chinese citizens.

To learn more about what China’s eerie social credit system entails, be sure to check out the video below.