China’s "Social Credit System" Has Caused More Than Just Public Shaming (HBO)
Why Hacker News recommends it
Cited as a visual reference in discussions of social credit, surveillance and facial recognition in China, usually with a dystopian framing.
What it is
A VICE News piece on China's Social Credit System, including a neighbor-watch pilot where paid watchers record behavior. It covers rewards for high scores and public shaming or restrictions for low ones.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2018 to 2019.
What Hacker News said
Cites chillacy · 2018-12 · on “China introduces ‘social’ punishments for scientific misconduct”
Based on a YouTube documentary I saw it seems like you can redeem your score through payments (officially to charity, but it doesn’t look like it’s transparent): [this video] Compare this to a prison system based on punishment instead of prevention, leading to depressing recidivism.
Cites spaceheretostay · 2019-04 · on “Private Space Launch Firms in China Race to Orbit”
One method is that your neighbors may report you. In China, part of the social credit system is that your neighbors will report you for doing anything against the law or the rules. So they may not 'block' you from putting it up and getting internet through it, but try going to work the next day you may be blocked from getting on the train. Edit: Everything I said here was strictly factual. I'm not sure why it's so quickly downvoted so here is a source to back it up: [this video] . And one more, regarding the trains in particular: [LINK]
Cites jasaloo · 2019-05 · on “San Francisco bans facial recognition technology by municipal agencies”
seeing plenty of comments along the lines of "don't they have better things to do?" please remember that there are coalitions of activists advocating multiple issues for civil rights simultaneously, and that a victory in one area (e.g. fighting the surveillance state) is neither mutually exclusive nor to the detriment of another equal or greater social ill (e.g. homelessness). In the meantime, enjoy these videos of what they're doing with facial recognition in China: (Social credit system) [this video] (broad piece on facial recognition): [LINK]
Critical aiyodev · 2019-03 · on “China bans 23M from buying travel tickets as part of 'social credit' system”
This Vice video shows what it's like: [this video] It's a Black Mirror kind of nightmare. Imagine spending your life sweeping sidewalks with a forced smile on your face hoping one of the government's informants will notice and write it in their book so that someday you'll be allowed to buy a ticket to see your family.