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Comment by dkarapetyan | Hacker News Reader

This is what the DMV does with the point system. The FBI and CIA I think also collect statistics and profile relevant individuals. The difference I guess is that most of these systems are in separate silos. The Chinese government is taking the next logical step and linking it all together. Reminds me of a quote

Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

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DMV tracking whether you are driving drunk is not the same as the Chinese govt. tracking whether you praise the govt. on Facebook.

> The FBI and CIA I think also collect statistics and profile relevant individuals.

Citation needed (especially that they do it for everyone).

I didn't say everyone but going by all the leaked documents on various surveilance programs what other citations do you need?

> > relevant individuals

> Citation needed (especially that they do it for everyone).

1. We know that they can. If you were designing a mass survaillance system, you would store all incoming information into unique bins now, then later select on the bins of interest.

2. Three years ago I asked an ex-govt employee who would know. When I got to that exact question, he got visibly upset and abruptly ended the conversation.

The US does track what you say on Facebook to see how much of a terrorist or criminal you might be. Just because you think "praise the government" isn't worthy of reward, doesn't mean it isn't. Afterall, China doesn't have a democracy, so if people are too dissatisfied with the government, instead of voting it out, they might have a revolution, which would be disastrous. In that environment, praising the government can be helpful to keep people safe from violence.

I agree it makes sense for the Chinese govt. just as it made sense, for example, for a slave trader to put down slaves that didn't toe his line and reward those that obeyed him fully.

You know what might make more sense? The Chinese govt. (or any other similar aspiring govt.) should spend billions on BCI research and implant chips in everyone so that any dis-harmonious thoughts can be culled right at the source.

China lacks almost any societal pressure valves at all without online dissent and armed revolution is all that's left if people become unsatisfied. "Praising the government" makes people less safe, since honest real public sentiment is well obscured.

Points aren't really big data, they are based on rare, high signal events rather than small statistical differences across many observations.

Sure but on the spectrum of tracking data where exactly are you going to draw the line? I'm not saying I agree with what they are doing but clearly these kinds of systems already exist. This kind of reward and punishment system exists pretty much in any large enough organization. What is an internal review and promotion system if not some kind of systematic tracking of data to reward "good" behavior?

If the Chinese government is viewed as one giant organization then again this is just a logical extension of such systems.

They are just taking a cue from credit rating agencies.

I would not be okay with my company rating me based on ML computed metrics of my performance based on everything that I do in (and out?) of the office

How is a credit rating different from citizenship rating? Your buying patterns reveal an awful lot. Why is one ok and the other isn't?

People's lives should not be affected by how loyal they are to the state (up until the point of actual violence).

People's access to credit should be affected by how they behaved with previous loans.

Credit ratings are about how risky it is to lend you money, not where you are allowed to live, drive, and work.

They often work out to the same thing. I've been denied work and housing due to credit rating problems.

Is that really true? Access to credit determines a bunch of things and I'd say it's not just limited to where you live, drive, and work. It can sometimes even determine whether you're able to pay for healthcare or not.

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