If You're Listening The truth about China’s social credit scores
Nov 19, 2025
Dive into the intriguing world of China's social credit system and the Western reactions to it. Discover how Alibaba's Sesame Credit operates compared to the exaggerated fears of a national score. Learn about the origins of these fears from a single blog post and how they spread. Explore the real reasons behind the push for trustworthiness in China, stemming from past scandals. Finally, unravel the truth about local experiments and blacklists, while understanding that a universal score might not be as omnipotent as many believe.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Media Myth Versus Reality
- Western coverage exaggerated a unified, nationwide Chinese social credit "score" system.
- Media conflated pilot projects, corporate schemes and vague government plans into a dystopian narrative.
Sesame Credit Was A Corporate Loyalty Program
- Alibaba ran a voluntary Sesame Credit loyalty program tied to purchases and financial history.
- It offered perks like deposit-free rentals and visa facilitation through corporate partners, not state coercion.
The 2014 Outline Was Vague
- The 2014 government Planning Outline was vague and did not mandate a single national score.
- Chinese terms translated as "credit" more accurately mean trustworthiness or credibility in context.