Blog Post No.9: Social Credit Score

What if the government tracked everything you do? Every step, keystroke, and the transaction is watched and monitored. What if all of these actions affected your social standing with the government? What if the government created a system that numerically evaluated each citizen by their actions which affected their social standing? What if I told you there is a system similar to this already in place.

The Chinese government created a system to monitor its citizens. The social credit score is a system that contributes a numerical value to the trustworthiness of a person, company, or government entity. Currently, the system is run by and managed by China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the People’s Bank of China, and the country’s court system. The majority of the data is collected through traditional means; governmental, financial, and criminal records are all public records. The Chinese government also employs the use of third-party sources to gain information such as websites that have access to people’s credit scores. The Chinese government is also experimenting with new ways to gather information. Sources such as financial transactions and video surveillance are starting to be incorporated into the government’s data collection system in regard to a person’s social credit score.

 

The purpose of the social credit score is to encourage good behavior among Chinese citizens. A person with a high credit score gets perks that others do not. Some examples of benefits are breaks on taxes, discounts on government bills, the ability to rent vehicles or hotel rooms without having to make a deposit first, and better interest rates on loans from banks. Businesses with high credit scores get different perks such as less frequent inspections and audits and fast-tracked approvals for government services. It is shown that the system is mainly targeted toward businesses and companies individuals also can receive benefits or face consequences of the social credit system. For those who have high scores, the system disproportionately benefits the system. There is a big negative impact on those who have a low social credit score. People with low social credit scores have public shame, limited options for housing and hotels, limited employment options with exclusions for high-level jobs, travel bans on trains and planes, slower internet, and bans from private schools. 

Like most government programs there are flaws. There are concerns about data credibility, data protection, and invasion of privacy in China due to weak regulations and law enforcement on privacy. The most controversial aspect of the social credit system for individuals is that it tracks behavior and gives citizens a score using incomplete, or inaccurate data.

So what does this mean for Americans? Currently, there is no system like this in America. It is unlikely a system like this could be implemented due to the right to privacy. The right to privacy was inherent in the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Amendments.

Blog Post No.8 Privacy Rights

The right to privacy is not clearly stated in the United States Consitution or Bill of Rights. Over time this right has become incorporated in different clauses of the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Amendments. There are distinct rules to what the government can and cannot due regarding privacy but there are several instances the government violates these rights. For almost two decades the Denver Police collected information on activists operating in the area. Approximately 1,500pages were made public and released information about individuals they themselves were not aware of. Glen Morris, a Native American activist, found out that someone planned to murder him. Morris is just one of many examples of the government trampling privacy rights and violating the Constitution.

 

In the case of private institutions, the policy and laws on privacy have limitations. Social media companies add clauses in their terms and conditions to allow for surveillance. On Netflix, there is a documentary entitled “The Social Dilemma” that investigates the design of social media and its ability to manipulate its user by collecting data on them. One of the most notable quotes from the film is by Daniel Hövermann, “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product”.  Social media companies are collecting your information and selling it to others to make a profit. Cellular devices are always listening and tracking. This is evident all the time.  If you mention or text about a company or product it is very likely an ad for the same product will be on your feed within days or even hours. Christopher Soghoian explains in her speech that our phones are always surveilling and others have the ability to access this information. 

Blog Post No. 7: Diffusion of Citizenship

Rogers' diffusion of innovations is an extremely beneficial concept when academics are theorizing about particular topics but I find its application to ideas most interesting. For a controversial or stigmatized idea to become socially acceptable it must follow the diffusion of innovations chart. For example, take the idea of African Americans being United States citizens. In modern-day society, it is repulsive and bigoted to view black people as less than human but this ideal has not always been true throughout history. It took almost 400 years from colonial America to the 14th amendment before slavery became abolished. Early abolitionists, Olaudah Equiano, Anthony Benezet, and Mum Bett, aka Elizabeth Freeman,  faced ridicule. Even after the 14th Amendment passed with the Citizenship Clause which redefined citizenship it took two more amendments to increase equality between black and white Americans. 

Blog Post No.6: Paper as Technology?

When I think of paper, I do not consider it a type of communication technology. However paper revolutionized the way humans communicate with each other. Cai Lun is a Chinese court official who is credited for inventing paper in 105 AD. Before Lun’s invention, most people used bamboo or silk strips to write but these options were heavy and costly. Paper was a technological advancement that was very popular on the silk road and for many years to come. Paper still has a huge impact on society. Paper gave people an easy way to write down information and produce it for others. There are some negative environmental implications due to the production of the commodity. Overall, paper is important for communications.

Blog Post No.5: The Pro-War Agenda

    War is one of the few constants throughout human history. Humans have fought other humans since the first civilization was created. The first war took place in Mesopotamia in 2,700 B.C between the Sumer and Elam.  Since the beginning wars have been fought for the same reasons: territory, economic, political, or religious disputes. 

    As society advances, war as a result should become less frequent and less violent but this is not the case. Due to advancements in technology war is neither unfrequent nor civil. Hundreds of thousands of military personnel and civil’ lives are lost as a result of war. America dropped two atomic bombs on Japan that ended approximately 80,000 lives and thousands more later died after exposure to radiation.  If the United States was on the losing side of World War II, Former President Harry Truman would have been prosecuted for war crimes by the United Nations for his military choice to bomb civil cities instead of military territory or less populated areas. Even so, the American people showed little remorse and supported Former President Truman's decision to bomb civilian cities in Japan 

In mainstream American media, the pro-war narrative is pushed the most. When it comes to political parties historically Democrats lean antiwar while Republicans tend to lean pro-war but times have changed. As times change Democrats and Republicans have become less polarized on this specific issue and both parties have an increase in pro-war supporters. The media reflects this shift as it mainly covers the pro-war agenda. 

However, there are still sources of antiwar narratives in media that are just as accessible. The news people listen to and watch normally reflects their own personal beliefs. If a person is looking for an antiwar narrative there are mainstream media platforms that are available but can be harder to find.