In this post, I will be speaking on the topic of the Age of AI and social media scores.
Definition and Implications:
The definition of a Social Credit Score is a system where citizens are scored based on a variety of things. This can include behavior, and the way one interacts in society.
In China's Social Credit System, citizens with a good social credit score are seen as trustworthy and can get tax breaks, discounts, or waived deposits. While as citizens with a poor credit score are seen as untrustworthy and can be denied loans, higher costs, and even public shaming. They can even be banned from participating in voting or even leaving the country!
Some things that can affect someone's social credit score positively could be donating to charity or giving blood. Some things that can affect someone's social credit score negatively could be committing crimes, buying certain products, cheating in school, leaving a bad review, and even criticizing the government!
Bad vs. Good:
Looking further beyond its definition having a social credit score can bring many implications. Some benefits may and could include citizens wanting to display positive behavior, which could result in more people abiding by the law. It could bring or build trust between people. It may also even help when looking for certain types of behaviors for different jobs.
Having a social credit score can also bring many consequences. Some may and could be privacy concerns. This is another huge privacy issue that we are possibly adding to our already invasions of privacy country. Especially in this day in age of technology. This could also result in the abuse of power. If the government doesn't like the way you've been "acting" you could take a hit to your social credit score which could affect you greatly. This could prevent you from getting jobs, or positions approved for a house, car, etc. If someone doesn't deem you as having "good behavior" they could deny you access to something based on their opinions or assumptions. This can very quickly lead to discrimination and inequalities.
Affect on Society:
Having a social credit score has the high potential to greatly divide society even further than it already is. By giving certain individuals privileges and others restrictions and consequences. This may also create a very government-controlled society indirectly. Citizens may heavily alter their personalities, behaviors, activities, etc just to conform to this system. It can result in some living in fear of doing anything wrong that could potentially hurt their social credit score. Businesses once again could also use these social credit scores to make decisions such as employment, services, promotions, and opportunities.
Affect on Different Groups:
There are many different segments and groups of people in our society. The rich may have an easier time improving or maintaining a good social credit score due to resources. While someone who is poor might have a harder time improving their credit score. Who's to even say the wealthy might find a way to pay to have a good social credit score.
Adapting to a social credit score could also hinder elders versus the youth. An elder might have complications that may keep them from being able to physically go to places that can allow them to improve their credit scores. While a younger person might meet the system's demand more quickly.
Social credit scores may also be affected by gender and sexuality biases. This could lead to unequal treatment towards someone who might not fit the image a company, or the government prefers. This would lead to discrimination against women, men, heterosexuals, and LGBTQ+.
Even the minorities could be affected, as the government could decide to score unfairly based on cultural norms and values. Another one is religion. A business or the government can decide to work or not work with you based on one's faith. This could be publicly displayed or maybe a simple act of giving to a church that someone in power may not favor.
Affects on Me, Family, Friends, and Generation:
Also, as a young adult on social media with friends in my age range, how much will we have to censor ourselves online? My friends and I all have TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Will we have to hold back our opinions, interests, or criticism online to not take a hit on our social credit score?
The question that also comes to mind is will they use other people's social credit scores to assume things about me, my family, or anyone else? Businesses, companies, or the government could deny access to something because maybe I have family members who have poor social credit scores from, for example, committing crimes? Even though my social credit score is good, they might see me being affiliated with certain poor-scored family members as a potential risk. This example raises many red flags.
In conclusion, I do recognize that there are some potential benefits to having a social credit score system. But, the negatives and consequences outweigh the benefits by a long shot in my opinion. We already have a big privacy issue in America, and this has the high potential to make it so much worse. Not only that it can easily be turned into a playground for practices such as discrimination, inequality, gender and age biases, abuse of power, invasion of privacy, etc. It could also potentially violate huge rules and laws in the constitution of the United States of America!
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!
Comments
Post a Comment