China has already implemented its Citizen Score on a voluntary basis but this month government official released details about how the program will operate in 2020 when it becomes compulsory for all Chinese citizens. For those who may be curious, think of the Citizen Score, sometimes referred to as a trust score, as akin to a credit score but one that encompasses every conceivable aspect of one’s life. Buy video games and your score drops because the government assumes you are idle, buy diapers and it rises
because you seem more stable. Get a traffic ticket or speak out about the government, and your score drops, but earn a degree or support the Party and your score might rise. Miss paying your bills or don’t support your parents and your score will suffer. Read books that the party doesn’t deem ideologically sound or watch foreign movies, and your score will take a hit. China has spent years integrating its digital surveillance infrastructure so that it can connect every aspect of its citizen’s lives. READ MORE
