Chapter 8 – Current Technology and Emergent Issues
Social Credit system and privacy
China has recently implemented a social credit system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Credit_System
It has had a huge effect, including preventing millions of people from buying airplane tickets.
CBC radio show Spark has a fascinating article on this where your social credit can determine your financial loans.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/spark/episode-327-working-less-social-credit-scores-and-more-1.3762032/need-a-loan-look-no-further-than-your-messaging-app-1.4124694
Other countries
An interesting discussion can centre around how easily it would be to implement this type of a system in other countries, given their privacy laws.
United States Supreme Court is adamant about constitutional rights and the recent appointments from President Trump has strengthened that. The right to privacy through the Fourth Amendment “unreasonable search and seizure” are guaranteed in the US Constitution.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-constitution/
Freedom of movement has been upheld under the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the United States Constitution which states, “The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.”
In addition, Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that:
- a citizen of a state in which that citizen is present has the liberty to travel, reside in, and/or work in any part of the state where one pleases within the limits of respect for the liberty and rights of others,
- and that a citizen also has the right to leave any country, including his or her own, and to return to his or her country at any time.
South Korea
In the South Korean constitution there are many clauses that would make it difficult for a social credit system to be implemented there.
https://www.privacy.go.kr/eng/laws_policies_list.do
The Right to Privacy is constructed as a fundamental right that is protected by the Constitution. “It prevents the state from looking into the private life of citizens, and provides for the protection from the state’s intervention or prohibition of free conduct of private living. Personal data protection laws of Korea are consisted of Personal Information Protection Act as a general law and several specific sector laws, including Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, ETC and Use and Protection of Credit Information Act.”