You are proceeding to a page containing mature content. Is this OK?

check Yes, show me everything
close No, hide anything sensitive

China App Detects Nearby Debtors, Encourages Snitching

An app developed in China allows users to tell when they are nearby a person who is in debt, an absurdly invasive system that works alongside China’s social credit system, which will soon be used to keep its citizens in-line and prevent wrongthink.

Known as the “Map of Deadbeat Debtors”, the app became available in China’s Hebei province via instant-messaging platform WeChat and issues users an alert should they come within a 500-meter radius of a no-good dirty debtor.

It displays the debtor’s precise location though its unknown whether or not it displays additional information such as their name or how much money they owe (and to who), the app apparently also encourages to be on the lookout for such individuals as it will allow users to “whistle-blow” on those who “look capable of paying their debts”.

The app is part of China’s new social credit system that will be implemented come 2020 that judges a citizen’s ability to be responsible, such as not being late to pay back loans, not playing video games for too long, not buying too much alcohol and not criticizing the government.

The full system is currently not in effect, with parts of it run by city councils and by private tech platforms like Alibaba and Tencent (who have access to personal data), though experimental blacklists already exist and at least 6,000 individuals have been punished for things such as failing to pay taxes or misbehaving on public transport (by preventing them from riding planes and trains).

Leave a Comment

All comments must abide by the commenting rules.

65 Comments