“Have you heard about China’s social credit system? It’s a technology-enabled, surveillance-based nationwide program designed to nudge citizens toward better behavior. The ultimate goal is to ‘allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step,’ according to the Chinese government. It aims to punish for transgressions that can include membership in or support for the Falun Gong or Tibetan Buddhism, failure to pay debts, excessive video gaming, criticizing the government, late payments, failing to sweep the sidewalk in front of your store or house, smoking or playing loud music on trains, jaywalking, and other actions deemed illegal or unacceptable by the Chinese government. Punishments can be harsh, including bans on leaving the country, using public transportation, checking into hotels, hiring for high-visibility jobs, or acceptance of children to private schools. It can also result in slower internet connections and social stigmatization in the form of registration on a public blacklist. A parallel system is developing in the United States, in part as the result of Silicon Valley and technology-industry user policies, and in part by surveillance of social media activity by private companies. Airbnb—a major provider of travel accommodation and tourist activities—bragged in March that it now has more than 6 million listings in its system. That’s why a ban from Airbnb can limit travel options. Airbnb can disable your account for life for any reason it chooses, and it reserves the right to not tell you the reason. The company’s canned message includes the assertion that ‘This decision is irreversible and will affect any duplicated or future accounts. Please understand that we are not obligated to provide an explanation for the action taken against your account.’ The ban can be based on something the host privately tells Airbnb about something they believe you did while staying at their property. Airbnb’s competitors have similar policies. It’s now easy to get banned by Uber, too. Whenever you get out of the car, the driver now also gets an invitation to rate you. Under a new policy announced in May: If your average rating is ‘significantly below average,’ Uber will ban you from the service. You can be banned on WhatsApp if too many other users block you. You can also get banned for sending spam, threatening messages. Not being allowed to use WhatsApp in some countries is as punishing as not being allowed to use the telephone system in America.”
“Silicon Valley Is Building,” FastCompany.com, Aug. 29, 2019