Coming soon... A Social Credit Score!
- Mark Anthony Torres
- Aug 22, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 27, 2019
Your credit score is a major component of your life. Credit scores are critical in obtaining a mortgage, car loan, securing car insurance and other vital life activities.
We are all familiar with the concept: you are judged and assessed by your history; whether good, bad or in between. Decisions are then made by creditors based on those assessments.
Careful how you treat others
Envision a world where not just your financial payment history is recorded, measured and assigned a ranking, but your societal interactions as well.
Perhaps you’ve had a bad day and you’re rude to a waiter, or maybe you cut someone off in traffic. Or in contrast, you go out of your way to say “good day” to everyone you interact with and are an extremely cordial and a good tipper with the waitstaff.
Now imagine each societal interaction, professionally, privately and online, is recorded, measured and assigned a ranking. Enter the concept of a social credit score. A score that is used in your favor or against you, depending on how high or low your score is. Just like the current concept of a financial credit score.
This topic was brilliantly depicted in an episode of Netflix’s dystopian themed show Black Mirror.
Let’s say in this futuristic social credit system world, you accidentally J-walk and you’re captured by a camera at the intersection.
Or say you have a public outburst that perhaps is captured on camera. This would adversely impact you and go in your “official” file. This bad day, or mistake could be used against you in job interviews, loan applications, admission to schools or clubs, etc.
In a sense, we are somewhat already there, because if you were unfortunate enough to have a negative moment in your life go viral, it could be searched by potential employers or someone you’re dating, etc.
The difference with a social credit system, is that the collection of these events would get cataloged and assigned a ranking. Rather than someone having to hunt and peck for it through a Google search. With a social credit system, they’d easily be able to get your summary and score.
Just like a missed payment in your financial life, whether intentional or by mistake, can wreak havoc on your current credit score.
It's already happening in China
The People’s Republic of China is emerging as a major world power. It possesses the world’s largest population and is a powerhouse on the global economic scene. It’s also a totalitarian country that is in the initial phases of rolling out a social credit system.
Thereby allowing potential employers, schools, etc. the ability to find out the score of their fellow citizens. In addition, since China is a country where the government actually owns, controls and monitors all social media, they can convert your social interactions into data and use it towards a citizen’s score. The score can even impact a Chinese citizen’s ability to get a plane or train ticket. In China, if you’re a “bad person” you cannot fly or take a train! You'll just have to drive there.
As a businessman, it certainly would be nice to know if the person I’m dealing with has treated past business relationships poorly. However, the opportunity for misuse is also frightening.
What does the future hold
At present, we already let technology into our lives at intimate levels, such as placing listening devices and cameras in our home that are recording our interactions.
If used correctly, a social credit system can be a powerful tool in helping to gain a better understanding as to who we are dealing with.
That being said, I’m not quite ready, and perhaps I’ll never be, to have my daily interactions ranked and potentially used against me.
Irrespective, it makes for a fascinating concept and TV shows and books have historically been good at portending the future. Maybe what was visualized in Black Mirror might be the imminent future.
Let’s hope common sense will prevail allowing us to have the best of both worlds.
Mark Anthony Torres is a writer, futurist and seasoned global technology expert with nearly 20 years of industry experience. He's passionate about simplifying technology and making it easy to understand. To get in touch, leave a comment below; email him at bizdev@markanthonytorres.com or call him at 248.786.7070.
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