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The concept of this credit system in China is not familiar to most Africans since there is nothing quite like that in Africa, and perhaps it’s better this way.
We have covered the basics of this concept in brief – from what the social credit system is to what happens to offenders. In short – the Chinese government’s social credit system ensures that the citizens behave.
What is China’s new social credit system?
It is an initiative that aims at creating a database to track the behavior of Chinese citizens. Its goal is to monitor the social score of every individual and governmental entity.
The general notion is to use the system to assess trustworthiness to ensure the people abide by the laws. The working is much like the credit score for westerners. You either get stunning benefits or severe punishments for breaking the rules.
This score determines whether businesses can trust your word. In short, it helps them assess how high of a risk you are. Break the law and get ready to face the consequences of having a low credit score.
How the social credit system works
Imagine being in an interrogation room, being carefully monitored by the cops. Every move you make, every word you say either works in your favor or against you.
The social credit system operates in a similar manner. Everything violation affects your social credit score negatively. This score will increase or decrease based on your behavior in public. Citizens will gain points for behaving themselves and vice versa.
The system will draw a surplus of data about every Chinese individual. This data includes financial, government, and criminal records and data from digital sources. That’s right, even sharing too many social media posts can land you in a tough situation.
What privileges can high scores get?
Let’s talk about the positives of maintaining a good social score. You can enjoy several benefits just by behaving yourself in public. Here’s a list of the advantages high scores can lead to:
- Getting priority during admissions and employment opportunities
- Easy approval of cash loans and consumer credit
- Free gym facilities
- Tax breaks
- Quicker hospital provisions
These are just some of the exciting benefits of maintaining a good social credit score. Though the system hasn’t rolled out yet, the result is visible in the Chinese population.
What happens if you have a low social score?
Although the system can help businesses know who to trust, this system has drawbacks too. The government will watch every move you make like a hawk. If you don’t play by the rules, you will face penalties.
A low social credit score can lead to denial of licenses and permits. It directly restricts your access to public services. With a low score looking for a government job or admission in private schools is useless.
A low social score can wreak havoc for the blacklisted individual. It gives the government the right to expose the names and ID numbers of these people online or on TV screens. Answering calls with a low social score is a torment thanks to the mandated dial tones. It informs callers that they are calling a “dishonest debtor.”
