Although social credit is not deliberately present in the United States at this point in time, some of the systems currently used in the country are not far off from the principles shown with Chinese social credit. With China having such a strong presence globally, the idea of other countries implementing social credit somewhere down the line does not seem unrealistic. Outlined below are some systems already existing in the United States that could potentially lend themselves to social credit systems in the future:
Yelp, Uber, and other related services: on nearly every consumer service app or website, the use of ratings is ever-present. With apps like Yelp and Uber, the scores of restaurants, activities, and even people (Uber drivers) are clear to see. These scores play a major role in how society makes decisions and purchases goods- a concept not far off from the social credit system in China.
Uber drivers are rated on various characteristics such as their timeliness, personality, and car cleanliness.
Social Blade: growing in popularity and familiarity with society on a daily basis, Social Blade is a relatively new and growing resource for checking celebrity and internet personality social scores and rankings. For any person with a significant online following, whether it be through Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or other social media, Social Blade gives comprehensive scores.
This is Pewdiepie, the YouTuber with the most subscribers in the world. His Social Blade outlines many aspects, like his subscriber count, his estimated salary, and more.
Presidential Candidates: Andrew Yang, a 2020 presidential candidate, features a concept on his presidential plan that is very similar to Chinese social credit- his being “digital social currency”. By engaging in various civic and volunteer opportunities, such as helping at local shelters, tutoring, or coaching a little league, citizens would be rewarded with a form of currency (redeemable at businesses like coffee shops). The currency acquired by citizens could also be given to others in return for favors, like house or dog sitting.
Look up the Social Blade score of one of your favorite celebrities or online personalities. How do they rank?
Do you think social credit scores, like those in China, could become a reality in the U.S.?
References:
Yang, A. (). Modern time banking (digital social currency). Retrieved from https://www.yang2020.com/policies/digital-social-credits/
YouTube, twitch, twitter, & instagram statistics – SocialBlade.com. Retrieved from https://socialblade.com/