China bans people with bad “social credit” from planes and trains
Technology is a tool, it's down to governments and individuals how they use and deploy it, and as such it can be used to do great good, or great harm.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2018) 'China bans people with bad “social credit” from planes and trains', 311 Institute, 24 March. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/china-bans-people-with-bad-social-credit-from-planes-and-trains/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
In another nod to Black Mirror, and to show it isn't just a sci-fi anthology series but instead a glimpse into our actual future, China is extending its recently announced Social Credit Scoring System to block "bad citizens" from traveling on trains and planes.
The social credit program has been around since 2014, and has been steadily expanding ever since, working its way into every corner of Chinese citizens lives, and when it was originally rolled out in 2014 the State Council, China’s governing cabinet, publicly called for the establishment of a nationwide tracking system to rate the reputations of individuals, businesses, and even government officials.
Fiction becomes reality?
“The aim is for every Chinese citizen to be trailed by a file compiling data from public and private sources by 2020, and for those files to be searchable by fingerprints and other biometric characteristics,” said the council, calling it “a credit system that covers the whole society.”
Doing volunteer work, donating blood, and recycling can all boost one’s social credit score, while incurring debt or criticising the government can render you blacklisted, unable to buy property, take out loans, and now, engage in some forms of mass travel.
It’s all eerily similar to Black Mirror’s third-season episode "Nosedive," which imagined a world controlled by such a system. It even featured a scene in which star Bryce Dallas Howard is ejected from an airport.
However, on a much more serious note, as we’re seeing all too regularly now increasingly powerful technologies can be used to do great good, such as cure cancer faster and give people with locked in syndrome voices, but, in the wrong hands, with the wrong vision or attitude technology can also be used as a weapon of mass control, and I for one much prefer the former. Similarly, if I could be so bold and provide you with one piece of advice it would be don’t take your freedom for granted, be careful who you vote to govern you and do your utmost to be heard, not silenced – even in the face of seemingly overwhelming adversity.
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Technology is a tool, it's down to governments and individuals how they use and deploy it, and as such it can be used to do great good, or great harm.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 24 March 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). China bans people with bad “social credit” from planes and trains. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/china-bans-people-with-bad-social-credit-from-planes-and-trains/
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