Whats really worrying is that I think we're too distracted to do anything about it, that's what makes it so insidious, we're mollified by the idea that the technological age has connected us more, given us more choice when in fact its just the carrot before we get the stick. Another brick in the wall

I hope it doesn't spread. I'm already scared.

Why does anyone doubt that those in power would abuse it and try to control its citizens. When has a select few of empowered men ever used that power to advance the freedom, dignity or economic mobility of those they control?

And I thought having a credit score was agonizing enough. I can't imagine I'd be able to cut people out of my life because their score weren't good enough, especially if it was family.

Sounds a lot like the United States in the 1950s. Everyone had an FBI file, the government scrutinized everyone, and accused hundreds of thousands of people to be communists. Americans have also had credit scores for more than fifty years. Every non-cash purchase you make gets recorded. Search for a product online even once, and forever will it change your personal ads.

My normal self says "scary", my inner evil overlord says "finally"

so what if you did not use social media at all in China. Would is affect your score for better or worse?

Good thing that can't happen, here --> https://observer.com/2018/02/america-isnt-far-off-from-chinas-social-credit-score/ ... Well, certainly our home-grown tech giants would never help out a totalitarian government --> https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/01/technology/china-google-censored-search-engine.html ... hmmmmm (search it all on your own, while you still can)

A similar situation was the topic of an episode of The Orville, but ranking was based instead on public opinion via social media instead of government data collection. Scary, either way...

This is way too much like that orville episode majority rule

aren't we buying chinese products made by child workers and almost slaves, working for 1$? this will also stay as a sad story we all know and doing nothing. but once it can come to us and there will be no one to support and stand with us. p.s.communism was always slavery wrapped in beautiful utopian ideas. thanks god there was not enough technology in ussr, but my father was in KGB-s black list of "dangerous subjects" for going in church and they periodically were checking house for banned literature. i was shamed by calling "daughter of dissidents" in primary school! whole world was knowing what's happening there but big country like ussr or china can do anything and nobody will save you from there.

while i agree with most of the article, I strongly disagree that China is currently under communism. You see, if you bother to read some books about communism, there is nothing that would allow the leaders of a communist country to have huge companies which they rule, their relatives also to be filthy rich, and foreign multinational companies allowed to make their products by killing the workers so they can sell them to other parts of the world. We are talking about unbelievable corruption from the capitalistic system which is now established.

All this is already happening in the west too, but not in the public eye. All the "hacking" of social networks, I strongly suspect was simply an inside job to hide whatever disgusting c**p corporations were pulling to grab more power and money. We all live in a modern slavery but most people are not aware of it, trapped in their bubbles, living their lives while the 1% controls every aspect of our lives. I am painfully aware of the realities and I am just another slave because I am not in the 1%. It is what it is and what this MEME is the future reality. The only way not to be trapped by the system is to live off grid like a hermit.

How to create more criminals, the once falling into "bad" and sending their kids to worse schools will only make a more chaotic and devided world...Theres no way this will be motivational to behave.

oh my god

Black Mirror...what are Chinese people waiting for?! do they like to live like that?! they are slaves in their country and are totally controlled by the government that is a cancer to the country!!!

Just imagine if giant social media platforms censored the speech of those with which they disagreed!? Oh wait...

credit scores are different, but on the same track! better loans rates - understandable, (income inequality? who cares!); better insurance rates - hmmmm, not so sure why, but is a big factor; checked by employer, ground to deny you an apartment - scary; But it's ok! Keep talking about how spooky things in China.

It really is the plot of that Black Mirror episode. How do people not see how harmful this is?

At least President Trump reprimands China. Other leaders just kowtowed because they have no spunk due to economic issues.

Makes me think of the movie "Snowden" and the whistleblowing that brought out the fact that our government is watching more Americans than watching what is going on in other country. Until seeing this, that never made sense to me, scary.

This was an episode of The Orville last season. It seemed plausible enough. I didn't think Seth MacFarlane meant it to be a business plan, though.

Yeah, our government isn't going to let China have all the fun (control). I hope there is some way to prevent this from EVER happening.

This is basically what is done in the US with relation to political alignment... and it's getting worse.

Just great. ugh

As they say God made men and the rest are made in China.

but we have Trump, so it is far worse here.

Welcome to America.

I'm sorry but the infographic is a stereotype, they are not sincere about the real functioning of the system... If you have time to watch the video and understand it, I encourage you to do so ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLss-nJNFZg

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TL;DR There's communism in China and we must protect western society from it. Though this has been the case for decades so I fail to see how this is news. Neither machine nor men are infallible. Since the post is about the machines let us consider the human aspect of decision making: 1. personal bias 2. corruption 3. irrational thinking. So there is no "ultimate answer" to avoiding corruption in governments and over surveillance of the populace.