China's controversial social credit system, in which all citizens will be monitored 24/7 and ranked by their behaviour, is set to launch by 2020.
The system was first likened to Black Mirror's Nosedive episode when the plans were first unveiled by the Communist Party, and it looks like it will be a reality for China's 1.4 billion citizens.
The official party outline says it will 'allow the trustworthy to roam freely under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step'.
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Social credit is like a personal scorecard, and pilot programmes are currently in place in over a dozen of cities.
Each citizen will be given a score out of 800, and a number of different activities can increase and decrease your social standing.
Points will be lost and gained based on readings from a huge network of 200 million surveillance cameras equipped with facial recognition, body scanning and geo-tracking.
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Smartphone apps will also collect data and monitor online behaviour on a daily basis. The government's educational, medical and financial records for each citizen will be fed into individual scores too. The rating will go up and down in real time.
What can make your social standing go up?
It has been reported that completing community service and buying Chinese products will help to improve your social standing.
Buying a pack of nappies, which suggests responsibility, could make your rating go up a little too.
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Who you associate with also affects your rating, so having friends and partners with good scorecards can make you a model citizen.
What can make it go down?
Sparking up a cigarette in a non-smoking area, evading tax and fraud can all dramatically lower your rating.
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Buying items that the government does not approve of, such as too much alcohol in your food shop games can also reduce your social standing.
Your rating could drop if you, your best friend or dad saying something negative about the government.
What privileges do those with high scorecards get?
- VIP treatment at airports.
- Fast-tracked to elite universities.
- Discounted loans.
- No deposits on hotel rooms and car rentals.
- Job promotions are more likely.
What are some of the repercussions for those with low ratings?
- Barred from applying for top jobs.
- Cut off from high-speed internet and social media accounts are closed.
- Stopped from sending children to the country's best schools.
- Banned from travelling in, out and around China.
- Blocked from purchasing property.
The systems has already been met with a mixed response from China's citizens, with critics raising concerns over whether the scorecards are 'fair' and 'ethical'. However, others are more welcoming of the new system.
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