Citizen ratings: personal data at the service of states
Long anticipated, the exploitation of individuals’ personal data finds direct expression in the recent implementation by the Chinese regime of a rating and penalty system for its citizens based on their behavior.
Prepared since 2014, this system, launched on May 1st, aims to be implemented nationwide by 2020.
“Allowing those deemed trustworthy to roam freely, while making every step difficult for those deemed discreditable.” The founding text of the government project, published in June 2014 by the State Council, transposes this principle.
This social credit system assigns a score according to constantly refined and expanded criteria, including legal, banking, and professional status, consumer choices, personal activities, and social interactions.
Citizen data: Rating and sanctions for uncivil behavior
The seven million affected residents are also witnessing a diversification of sanctions, now ranging from restrictions on access to public transportation—already affecting 11.4 million flights and 4.24 million train journeys—to certain state or private services.
Obtaining loans, rental properties, jobs, internet access, or medical care are all penalties that can be faced by individuals with “poor ratings,” based on their personal data.
This Chinese innovation, however, remains merely a modern and institutionalized example of the monetization of personality, a phenomenon already present in Western societies.
The professional world, banking, and several mobile applications and social networking services are indeed imposing selection processes for access to certain services, based on personality analysis of the individuals concerned.
The city of Suqian, a metropolitan area of five million inhabitants, is testing a rating system for individuals and businesses intended to create a more trustworthy society.
