Experts contradict the image that the international Public opinion of China’s Scoring System for its citizens. The System, at least, so far less draconian than expected and would be welcomed by many Chinese. In addition, it is also in Europe similar systems. the Jannis Brühl, Berlin Jannis Brühl
Jannis Brühl, born in Nuremberg, is head of the digital Department. Studied politics and American studies in Erlangen, Germany and Portland, Oregon. Internship at SZ.de, then staff in the Economics Department. Won with the SZ-volunteers of the guard price of German daily press for the project “weapons in Germany”. In 2013, Arthur F. Burns-fellow the editors of ProPublica in New York. By 2015, a correspondent for the North Rhine-Westphalia in Cologne and Düsseldorf.
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China’s Scoring systems are considered to be a technology-dystopia that has come true. Any Chinese, so many believe in the West, is today a point value, which can decrease according to its behavior or to increase. A huge Experiment from Big Data and Surveillance, conducted at more than one billion people.
experts disagree with the image that the international Public and the international media of the program. It is vague and in Parts of prejudiced. At least that was the consensus in one round of China-experts on the digital conference Republica, which this week took place in Berlin. In connection with the System, the metaphors “Black Mirror” or “Orwell fell often”, said the Dutch Sinologist Manya Koetse. An idea hold on stubbornly: “Every Chinese person gets a score, and it’s going down, if he buys, for example, beer.”
Jeremy Daum, an expert on China from the Yale Law School and a well-known Blogger who pointed out that many of the notorious sanctions stands for, but is imposed in addition to the legal penalties would be: “If you’re going to steal a TV and get caught, don’t you think: ‘Oh, my Credit Score will go down!’. You think: ‘Oh, I’ll go to jail!'” The Score decrease was a result of the imprisonment. Possible sanctions could then consist, for example, to receive a discount for the public transport. Some patients will, however, likely book any more flights. In the trains will be Black
Daum said the national System is not a rating program. “In the crucial government document, a word is not on a points system.” However, such a System is being tested in dozens of towns and cities locally. 2020 wants to set the government on a System and the participation of the obligation.
The Tech companies operate their own systems
The Chinese government has, according to Daum, even without the “Credit” far-reaching opportunities for its citizens to spy on. The Algorithms that were used to create it are not overpowering and dark. “It is simple Addition and subtraction is.”
Some of the current systems of major Chinese tech companies operated, the rating of the credit rating of the consumer. To do this, Alibaba’s counts Sesame Credit, which most closely resembles the German Schufa. The credit rating is calculated on the basis of the accounts the user has in the service of the Alibaba group, for example, the online retailer Taobao. The higher the score, the more perks and offers, the user can take. For example, he must provide in some Hotels, no Deposit and more.
It is the future national System, in whatever Form it is to come, the fuels currently, most of the Fears. It is intended to establish the creditworthiness of the millions of Chinese without a Bank account, on the basis of new data, over and above the classic credit history. Really only part of the area, would work currently, but Daum says: a network of more than three dozen black lists for various Supervisory authorities. Where citizens and businesses, which are not considered as trustworthy and is subject to restrictions.
Many Chinese believe that such a System could fraud the rampant and distrust in the society, and to mitigate the has been shaken in the past 40 years from the conversion to capitalism like no other. A further component of the system, which is called Daum: A Propaganda Offensive, calling on the people to help, honest to others: The campaign for greater confidence and credit have spawned a own song, and even have their own magazine on the subject. Many Chinese, however, know that you can expect from the state.
warning of “digital Orientalism”
does not interfere with The campaign seems to be working: the network of Monitoring is to be expanded, a lot of Chinese. The Professor of Chinese politics at the FU Berlin, Genia Kostka, that there are among the citizens of high approval rates for social credit Offensive. Concerns about data protection expressed by some citizens, though, and many were very concerned that the System could be non-transparent and unfair to some.
Kaiser Kuo was head of communications for the Chinese search engine Baidu. Today, he is the host of a podcast about China. For him, the debate has reversed, with non-democratic States were in the West for decades as uninspired and incapable of Innovation. Today prevails the view: is China overtaking the West technologically in all areas. “Now, we believe that technology is the handmaiden of authoritarianism.” Both is unrealistic. “We should be careful to not indulge in a ‘digital Orientalism’.” A comparison with Edward said’s theory, according to which the West has focused a long the Middle East as a wild Land full of lusty warriors and harem ladies bring Fanta.
China was not in the Black Mirror-Phase, but in the Star-Trek-Phase, said Kuo: In the Land of reign of Techno-optimism. Presenter Melissa Chan said: “But that’s only because the government has not yet allowed that the Dark-Mirror-entry Phase.”
“In China gets the Nerd, the girl”
The positive relationship to technology show in the rise of the Nerds in the company, said Kuo. They enjoy high social Status. “This is not like in the U.S., where the Football player is rolling with the Camaro gone, and out of the open window, the next-best Nerd insult. In China, the Nerd gets the girl.”
Jeremy Daum sees it is deeply psychological: people in the West projected their Fears of digital technologies to China, similar to the climate protection. To deny the determined fight against the warming, but say: “After all, we are a China – look at how bad the air is there!”
another lecture on the Republica showed that even in Europe-state Algorithms to rate citizens and far-reaching influence on your life. In Denmark and the Netherlands, systems to identify which children might be in danger, neglected. Minus points for unemployment, mental illness, or missed dental appointments. This can have a massive impact on families. In Poland, the unemployed were temporarily “Scores” to be classified as “employable” they were. Only after protests, the System was withdrawn.
