China's social credit score bans some from travel

CBS Mornings

24 Apr 201803:59

Summary

TLDRChina's social credit system assigns a score to each citizen based on their behavior, impacting daily life from travel to education. High scores can bring benefits, while low scores result in penalties like flight bans. The system, which uses AI and surveillance, raises concerns about privacy and potential abuse of power. It's set to expand nationwide, affecting 1.4 billion people by 2020.

Takeaways

📊 By 2020, China aimed to assign a personal score to all its citizens based on their behavior, impacting their access to certain privileges and services.
🚫 Individuals with low social credit scores faced restrictions, such as being banned from flying or using trains, affecting nearly 11 million people for flights and 4 million for trains.
🏙️ The government's goal is to purify society by rewarding trustworthy individuals and punishing those deemed untrustworthy, similar to a financial credit score but for social behavior.
🚶‍♂️ Social credit scores are influenced by a wide range of behaviors, including tax payments, adherence to traffic rules, and even purchasing local products.
🚫 Actions that can negatively impact one's score include fraud, tax evasion, and smoking in non-smoking areas, leading to potential bans on buying plane tickets, real estate, cars, and high-speed internet.
👀 China's extensive surveillance network, with over 176 million cameras and plans for 600 million by 2020, enables monitoring and enforcement of the social credit system.
👥 Companies like SenseTime, a leading AI firm, have developed smart cameras for the government that can identify and track individuals, contributing to the social credit system.
🚦 In major cities, even minor infractions like jaywalking are monitored and offenders are publicly shamed through facial recognition technology and public displays.
💼 There are benefits for those with high social credit scores, such as better interest rates at banks, discounts on energy bills, and enhanced profiles on dating sites.
🤔 The exact workings of the social credit system are kept secret, raising concerns about potential abuse by the government and its impact on daily life.

Q & A

What is the purpose of China's social credit system according to the script?
-The purpose of China's social credit system is to purify society by rewarding those who are trustworthy and punishing those who are not.
How does the social credit score affect Chinese citizens' daily lives?
-The social credit score affects Chinese citizens' daily lives by influencing their ability to travel, buy property, and even access certain services like private schools and high-speed internet based on their score.
What actions can lead to a low social credit score in China?
-Actions such as not paying taxes on time, jaywalking, fraud, tax evasion, and smoking in non-smoking areas can lead to a low social credit score.
What are the potential benefits for those with high social credit scores?
-High social credit scores can lead to benefits such as better interest rates at banks, discounts on energy bills, and even boosted profiles on online dating sites.
How does the Chinese government track and monitor citizens for the social credit system?
-The Chinese government uses a growing network of surveillance cameras, estimated to reach over 600 million by 2020, and smart cameras created by AI companies like SenseTime to track and monitor citizens.
What is the role of SenseTime in the social credit system?
-SenseTime is an AI company that has created smart cameras for the government, which help catch criminals but also track average citizens, contributing to the social credit system.
How does the social credit system impact the freedom of movement for citizens with low scores?
-Citizens with low scores are restricted from buying plane and train tickets, which significantly impacts their freedom of movement.
What is the potential downside of the social credit system as mentioned in the script?
-The potential downside is the risk of abuse by the government, as the system could be used to deeply control and shape citizens' behavior, and the workings of the system are kept secret.
How does the social credit system use technology to enforce rules like jaywalking?
-The system uses cameras to record jaywalkers, focuses on their faces, and publicly shames them on nearby video screens.
What is the significance of the number of surveillance cameras in China's social credit system?
-The large number of surveillance cameras, estimated at 176 million and planned to increase to over 600 million, enables the government to monitor and enforce the social credit system effectively.
How does the social credit system potentially affect the privacy of Chinese citizens?
-The extensive surveillance and monitoring for the social credit system could infringe on the privacy of Chinese citizens, as every action, from crossing the street to buying products, is tracked and scored.

Outlines

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🇨🇳 China's Social Credit System

China is implementing a social credit system by 2020, assigning a personal score to each of its 1.4 billion citizens based on their behavior. This system rewards trustworthy individuals and punishes those deemed untrustworthy. Behaviors such as paying taxes on time and obeying traffic rules can improve one's score, while actions like fraud, tax evasion, and smoking in non-smoking areas can lower it. Low scores can result in restrictions on travel, property purchase, and even high-speed internet access. The government uses a vast network of surveillance cameras and AI technology to monitor and enforce this system, raising concerns about privacy and potential abuse of power.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Social Credit Score

The Social Credit Score is a personal score assigned to Chinese citizens based on their behavior and trustworthiness. It is a central theme of the video, illustrating how the Chinese government is monitoring and influencing the conduct of its citizens. The score is determined by various factors, such as tax payment timeliness and adherence to traffic laws, and can affect an individual's ability to travel, purchase property, and even access certain services.

💡Punishment

Punishment in the context of the video refers to the consequences faced by individuals with low social credit scores. It is a key aspect of the scoring system, where people are restricted from certain privileges like flying or taking trains if they are deemed untrustworthy. For example, nearly 11 million Chinese people are barred from flying due to their low scores.

💡Surveillance Cameras

Surveillance cameras are a critical tool in the implementation of China's social credit system. They are used to monitor public spaces and individual behaviors, contributing to the data that influences a person's social credit score. The video mentions that China plans to have over 600 million cameras installed by 2020, which can recognize vehicles and individuals, facilitating the tracking and scoring of citizens.

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI plays a significant role in the social credit system by enabling the analysis of vast amounts of data collected through surveillance. Companies like SenseTime, mentioned in the video, develop smart cameras that can identify and track individuals, which is crucial for the operation of the scoring system.

💡Behavior Monitoring

Behavior monitoring is the process of observing and assessing the actions of individuals to determine their social credit score. The video discusses how even minor infractions, such as jaywalking, are captured on camera and can negatively impact a person's score, reflecting the intrusive nature of the system.

💡Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is a core concept in the social credit system, where citizens are rewarded or punished based on their reliability and integrity. The video explains that being trustworthy can lead to benefits such as better interest rates at banks and discounts on energy bills, while the lack of it results in penalties.

💡Control

Control is a key theme in the video, highlighting the extent to which the Chinese government is using the social credit system to manage and shape the behavior of its citizens. The system's ability to restrict travel and access to services for those with low scores exemplifies the government's control over individual freedoms.

💡Public Shaming

Public shaming is a method used within the social credit system to deter undesirable behavior. As described in the video, jaywalkers are recorded by cameras, and their images are displayed on public screens as a form of punishment and deterrence.

💡Big Brother

The term 'Big Brother' is used metaphorically in the video to describe the omnipresent surveillance and control exerted by the Chinese government through the social credit system. It evokes the concept of an authoritarian regime closely watching its citizens, as popularized by George Orwell's novel '1984'.

💡Rewards

Rewards are the incentives given to citizens with high social credit scores, which is a counterpoint to the punishment faced by those with low scores. The video mentions that trustworthy individuals can receive better banking rates and other benefits, illustrating the system's carrot-and-stick approach to social control.

💡Privacy

Privacy is an underlying concern in the video, as the extensive surveillance and data collection required for the social credit system raise questions about individual privacy rights. The video suggests that the Chinese government's monitoring may be overly intrusive, potentially infringing on personal freedoms.

Highlights

China plans to give all of its 1.4 billion citizens a personal score by 2020 based on their behavior.

People with low scores are being punished, with nearly 11 million Chinese people unable to fly and 4 million barred from trains.

The social credit score system is expanding nationwide, aiming to purify society by rewarding trustworthy individuals.

Social credit scores are based on a range of behaviors, including tax payments and how they cross the street.

Leo, a journalist, was banned from flying for being on the list of untrustworthy people due to insincere apologies for his tweets.

Low scores can restrict buying property, sending children to private schools, and accessing certain services.

Community service and buying Chinese-made products can raise one's social credit score.

Fraud, tax evasion, and smoking in non-smoking areas can lower a person's social credit score.

A low score can lead to bans on buying plane and train tickets, real estate, cars, and even high-speed internet.

China's surveillance camera network, estimated at 176 million cameras, aids in tracking citizens' behaviors.

The government plans to install over 600 million cameras by 2020.

Sense Time, a Chinese AI company, has created smart cameras for the government to track criminals and average citizens.

In Shanghai, the government is tracking jaywalkers, recording their faces and publicly shaming them on video screens.

The scoring system's workings are kept secret and could be easily abused by the government.

Trustworthy citizens can enjoy benefits like better interest rates at banks and discounts on energy bills.

High social credit scores can boost profiles on China's largest online dating site.

The social credit system is seen as an ultimate version of surveillance, impacting daily mundane activities.