Displaying items by tag: Social Credit System

George Orwell's 1984 surveillance-state is an oft-quoted reference when speaking of threats to our freedoms in the 21st century. But Orwell could never have imagined the technology that was just around the corner when he wrote his book 150 years ago. Data collection via social media, coupled with face and gait recognition, and almost unlimited data storage mean that every person on the planet can potentially be monitored in real time for the most nefarious purposes. China is leading the world in this kind of surveillance, which is aimed at modifying the behaviour of its citizens. With 200,000,000 (that's two hundred million) surveillance cameras, every action is evaluated and entered into China's Social Credit System.