China's system of 'social credit' control gets creepier with new app exposing 'deadbeat debtors'
China's 'social credit' system gets creepier with new app introduced in northern province
A new app exploiting China's controversial system of social credit control has been introduced that will highlight so-called 'deadbeat debtors'.
The app will warn users when they are in close proximity to someone who is in debt. Launched in North China's Hebei province, it takes advantage of invasive and all-encompassing data collected on individuals by both the private sector and the state, which is being deployed as part of the infrastructure of a new system of social credit control, developed under President Xi Jinping.
The app will not only display the exact location of the debtor, but also their name, national identification number, and why they are on the blacklist
The app - nicknamed 'map of deadbeat debtors' - is accessible via the country's popular WeChat messaging platform and will show a warning when someone gets within 500 metres of someone who's in debt.
According to China Daily, the app will not only display the exact location of the debtor, but also their name, national identification number, and why they are on the blacklist. This will "make it easier for people to whistle-blow on debtors capable of paying their debts", according to the newspaper, which is owned by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China.
In China, people are expected to save money rather than overspend. Being in debt is considered a social taboo, so debtors are supposed to be embarrassed about being in debt.
"It's a part of our measures to enforce our rulings and create a socially credible environment," said a spokesman for the court.
The new app is among the first manifestations of China's 'social credit system', which will come fully into force in 2020.
It's a part of our measures to enforce our rulings and create a socially credible environment
The system scores Chinese citizens based on their interactions with private and public institutions, such as supposedly spreading rumours online, breaking traffic rules and so on. People with low scores will be denied access to certain services, including air travel and train rides.
Indeed, millions of people have already been punished in this way.
The system will also reward citizens with credit points for doing virtuous things, like donating blood or performing volunteer work.
An argument for implementing the social credit system is that a large number of people in China still have no official access to banks, and therefore an alternative system is needed to evaluate their capacity to pay loans or rent houses.