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Social media isn\u2019t exactly an accurate representation of a person\u2019s life. In fact, it\u2019s a well-known fact that Instagram is all about constructing a personal life that looks great in photos.<\/p>\n
But as machines increasingly learn more and more about us and whether or not we lock down a job can hinge on a Facebook picture, we’re inching closer to a social credit system.<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s safe to say, most of us are still alarmed by the rollout of China\u2019s social scoring system<\/a>, we\u2019re also getting used to data aggregators collecting information about our shopping habits, whether we pay bills on time, and smartphones that track us.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also the fact that companies have begun using algorithms to look at job seeker social profiles or monitor employee performance on the job.<\/p>\n While we\u2019re nowhere near China\u2019s social credit system, we may be losing some autonomy little by little.<\/p>\n China\u2019s social credit system is a government-run program that collects data based on consumer behavior, social media activity, and IRL missteps \u2014 like failing to take care of your parents or getting a parking ticket.<\/p>\n From there, citizens receive a score, which serves as a numeric representation of their value as a person.<\/strong> The idea is, model citizens receive perks \u2014 access to better schools, luxury hotels, and the ability to board a plane.<\/p>\n In the U.S., there’s no government-backed mandate that we opt into social media or shop on Amazon. However, private companies are implementing a number of applications that rate customers and employees<\/strong>, sometimes in ways that mean more advertising, but often in ways that impact our livelihoods.<\/p>\n Companies are now rating you based on customer lifetime value, which is a metric aimed at helping companies identify those users that will net them the most cash.<\/p>\n In most cases, this involves a brand tracking how much you spend on their goods and services and using that information to make predictions about their revenue or market more goods and services to you.<\/p>\n Now, we\u2019re all familiar with things like our Uber ratings, which we can see \u2014 and are based on how we interact with a driver \u2014 were we rude or did we vomit in the car? Which is fine; we should have protections in place for drivers who transport strangers.<\/p>\n But algorithms that score teacher performance<\/span><\/a> or look at whether someone should receive welfare benefits might infringe on civil rights.<\/p>\n Then, there’s Upwork’s Work Diary<\/a> that takes webcam shots of freelancers as they log billable hours. Yes, users agree to these terms, but they might not feel that they have a choice.<\/p>\n Black Mirror comes to life with China\u2019s \u2018social credit\u2019 scoring system<\/p>\r\n Read Now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n In the U.S., creditworthiness is determined based on a few different factors. Payment history, the percentage of available credit, number of accounts open, and the age of accounts, all come into play.<\/p>\n The higher someone\u2019s credit, the easier it is to access things like housing or auto loans.<\/p>\n But those scores are limited to a selection of relatively predictable factors. And, while the credit reporting system is flawed, it doesn\u2019t account for things like what your Facebook page is up to.<\/p>\n How to enable private browsing mode on different browsers<\/p>\r\n Read now \u25ba<\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/a>\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n The frustrating thing about these privacy invasions is, you have to play the game.<\/p>\nWait \u2014 are social scores being used outside of China?<\/h3>\n
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