--- title: "Report: America Has a Social Credit System Much Like China’s" description: "Americans are subject to a social credit system like China's, but it's managed by tech companies and not the government, according to Fast Company." date: "2019-08-27" modified: "2019-08-27" authors: - name: "Kristin Houser" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin" url: "https://futurism.com/america-social-credit-system-china" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "big tech" - "china" - "social credit system" --- # Report: America Has a Social Credit System Much Like China’s ![Americans are subject to a social credit system like China's, but it's managed by tech companies and not the government, according to Fast Company.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* In China, a three-digit number between 350 and 950 can determine whether a person's [loan application is approved](), whether they can [travel outside the nation's borders](), and even whether they're able to [land a date]() for Friday night. That number is their social credit score, and they earn it through a system [China began implementing]() in 2014. Under the social credit system, if a Chinese citizen does something authorities deem "good" — paying bills on time, for example, or donating blood regularly — their score might increase. Conversely, if they do something "bad," such as criticize the government or walk their dog without a leash, their score might drop. Many Americans might find the power of China's social credit system astonishing. But a newly published *Fast Company* [story]() argues that people in the U.S. are already beholden to a similar system — it's just established and enforced by private companies instead of the government. The magazine provides several examples to bolster the claim. Life insurance companies can now base a person's premiums on the [content of their social media feeds](), for example. Meanwhile, a company called [PatronScan]() maintains a list of "objectionable customers" that bars and restaurants can use to exclude certain visitors. And that's nothing compared to larger platforms. Airbnb now has more than [6 million listings](), so a ban from that app can dramatically impact a person's ability to find accommodations. And Airbnb can ban anyone it wants to — it doesn't even need to give them a reason. Uber can also ban users, stifling their ability to travel, while a ban by WhatsApp or a similar service can negatively impact someone's ability to communicate with the rest of the world. According to *Fast Company*, the "most disturbing" aspect of the U.S.'s social credit system is that these punishments are all levied outside the official justice system. "\[I\]t’s an alternative legal system where the accused have fewer rights," the outlet wrote, later adding that if "current trends hold, it’s possible that in the future a majority of misdemeanors and even some felonies will be punished not by Washington, D.C., but by Silicon Valley." **READ MORE:** [Uh-oh: Silicon Valley is building a Chinese-style social credit system]() \[*Fast Company*\] **More on social credit:** *[China’s Social Credit System Barred Millions from Traveling in 2018]()* ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()