Social Credit Rating System

China’s Social Credit System is a national credit rating and blacklist being developed by the government of the People’s Republic of China. The system tracks businesses, individuals and government institutions and evaluates them for trustworthiness. Supporters claim that the system helps to regulate social behavior, improve the perceived “trustworthiness” of citizens (which includes paying taxes and bills on time), and promote traditional Chinese moral values. Critics of the system claim that it oversteps the rule of law and infringes the legal rights of residents and organizations, especially the right to reputation, the right to privacy as well as personal dignity, and that the system may be a tool for comprehensive government surveillance and for suppression of dissent from the CCP.