Imagine if you lived in a society where you are always being watched by cameras? Nothing you do or so is private. This is the case for Chinese citizens. The government watches all the citizens each moment of the day and gives a "social credit score" based on your actions. 

As American citizens, credit is based on our FICO score from three credit reporting agencies. These agencies, TransUnion, Equifax, and and Experian rate our financial actions based on how well we pay bills, employment, and credit among to name a few. A credit score is from 300-850 is given. The higher the number, the better the score. The higher the score allows citizens to get loans for things like automobiles, homes, etc. The lower the score, the limitations are placed upon these actions. 

So what does the social credit score mean for Chinese. If a person is seen crossing the road at the wrong time, their score goes down. If a person is late for work, their score goes down. How can a person's score go up, give blood, aid a person in need, do community service, or give money to charity. Your aim is to have a score as near 1000 as possible.