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Okay, vulnerability time.
The social credit system isn't real?
Now, is it a flat out fabrication, hasn't been implemented yet, or not real in the sense that it doesn't exist in the why we've been told it does? I would also really appreciate a source, one that a westoid like me would trust to be unbiased would be great, but I won't give you a hard time for not supplying one.
You might also find it interesting how Chinese users react to being asked about it:
https://xcancel.com/KHAMCHANH/status/1879651724308398141
But yeah, it's always been utter nonsense, and was debunked years ago. But these sort of fabrications and twisted stories work well, because people will easily believe whatever they hear and read about a country they're supposed to see as an enemy.
it's not real, and even western media reported on this before
There are some big companies that have loyalty rewards programs and some assign numbers to it, but it's generally like it is here in the west. It's not a government thing.
The government thing is basically just intense accounting. They keep very close track of financial stuff and though it's mostly aimed at businesses, they also note when individuals take out loans or credit cards and that can impact a person's life if they default. People and companies can also be blacklisted for stuff like fraud. But again, that's pretty much the same in the west too.
It's true that there is less anonymity in China though because people have to use their real names for everything. Like on social media, even if a user has a screen name, their legal name is still tied to their account through their phone number or internet connection or associated bank account (you can do online shopping through basically every Chinese app) or all of the above. Westerners nominally have more privacy in that regard but let's be real, if a western government wanted to know who's behind an "anonymous" internet post, they would know.
Fabrication https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/09/15/china-social-credit-system-authoritarian/
Looks like it exists but is fragmented and mainly for companies. Though the stories about foreign police and VPNs in companies seem real.
Thanks to everyone who responded! I've found it helpful!