China’s ‘Social Credit System’ Sounds Pretty Dystopian, but Are We Far Behind?

The same month the dystopian episode of "Black Mirror" premiered, China updated a policy-"Warning and Punishment Mechanisms for Persons Subject to Enforcement for Trust-Breaking"-that bears a striking resemblance.

China's "Social Credit System" literally rates its citizens. Those who score well get privileges; those who score poorly do not. A citizen with a high score is likely to enjoy various privileges-high-speed internet, the ability to travel freely, access to the best restaurants, golf courses and nightclubs-that fellow citizens do not.