this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2024
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cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/536301

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The Russia’s State Social University (RSSU) has launched a “social rating” platform that claims to build a person’s “social portrait” with possible applications in future government policies.

Named “We,” the platform promises to determine a user’s comparative “social status” based on a survey that includes questions about income, family status, benefits, creditworthiness, criminal record, lifestyle and state awards, among others.

“The social rating figures don’t affect [a person’s] life, the availability of services or the career trajectory in any way,” RSSU said on the platform’s website. “But who knows what these figures will mean for you in the future?”

Observers on social media compared the platform’s name “We” to the highly influential 1921 dystopian novel of the same name by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin. [The novel "We" describes a world of harmony and conformity within a united totalitarian state. It inspired British author George Orwell to write his own novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four", which was published in 1949.]

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[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 0 points 3 months ago (2 children)

So the credit score system in the US, but more?

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 0 points 3 months ago

How many hoops did you have to jump through to land at that comparison?

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[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Russia can into tinpot dictator.

[–] souperk@reddthat.com 0 points 3 months ago (3 children)

They made meow meow beans?

[–] muse@fedia.io 0 points 3 months ago

good timing, its my birthday today

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Cool.

Cool cool cool.

[–] FutileRecipe@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

They've taken everything subjective and unspoken about human interaction and reduced it to explicit, objective numbers. I've never felt so alive.

[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The social rating figures don’t affect [a person’s] life, the availability of services or the career trajectory in any way

unless you're gay...

[–] el_abuelo@lemmy.ml 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

There are no gay people in Russia.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 0 points 3 months ago

shoots gun

Not anymore

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Then what are they for? Like the government just puts up a leaderboard and leaves it at that.

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[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You can see why all the M-Ls on this site want Russia to win their fascist invasion. Clearly the Revolution lives.

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Some .ml fellas can explain that this is good, actually. Oil oligarch kleptocracy with murdering political opponent characteristics is one of the most leftist governments possible, so everything they do is good.

[–] Vanth@reddthat.com 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

These students either designed it as a subtle protest or they are in serious need of some dystopian literature in their curriculum.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 0 points 3 months ago

It's likely both. A compromise between hoping to build something real in the half-assed world that is Russia, and between wish to protest against its half-assed totalitarianism.

[–] Dragomus@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Well this sounds a bit familiar...

Next step is adding a scoring system with penalties for certain behavior and it will be quite similar to the social system that is rolling out in China...

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

That's probably the inspiration, but like hell they'll manage to actually build something as functional.

[–] silkroadtraveler@lemmy.today 0 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I wouldn’t underestimate the engineering competence of Russians especially when it comes to autocratic surveillance tools. There are plenty of Russian-built tools and web apps that function quite well - Yandex, VK, etc. The west does not have a monopoly on innovation.

[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.zip 0 points 3 months ago (4 children)

Yandex is a good example, VK - I'm not certain of that.

Anyway, what I meant is that such kind of social rating needs to source data from somewhere. That means integration with quite a lot of systems built for the Russian state, which often suck a lot. It's normal that half the time remote payments for utilities don't work, for example.

I mean, yeah, they can. But if it's going to be some nation-wide system for the government, the bureaucracy will practically kill this.

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[–] nexusband@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (2 children)

The west does not have a monopoly on innovation.

Nope - but it does look like we have the "monopoly" of being able to call out bullshit openly and not fear falling out of a window. Or being stabbed.

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 0 points 3 months ago

Oh that's coming. Stay tuned.

[–] 5too@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Well, until the President decides otherwise, anyway.

[–] nexusband@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Luckily "the West" isn't just the U.S. - it's also France, the U.K., Mexico and even Australia...

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[–] Alphane_Moon@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Seems like RSSU is fishing for the government's money.

It's probably very badly implemented and doesn't work as described. In a sense this is good, but my point stands.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 0 points 3 months ago

I sure hope you're right on it not working properly, for the common russkies' sake

[–] P1nkman@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (3 children)

This is literally the plot for a Black Mirror episode.

[–] themurphy@lemmy.ml 0 points 3 months ago

This is literally the plot for *China.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

From. Nosedive to be specific.

[–] Infynis@midwest.social 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think for was actually the right word choice there, because Black Mirror in no way came up with the concept

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 months ago

Sure, makes sense from that perspective. 👌

[–] pyre@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

or, for an example with better writing, a Community episode

[–] Eric_Pollock@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

Observers on social media compared the platform’s name “We” to the highly influential 1921 dystopian novel of the same name by Russian author Yevgeny Zamyatin.

They actually couldn't choose a different name than the novel that was written specifically about this very dystopian subject? Did they use it as inspiration? Because that seems more than coincidence...

[–] fluxion@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Weibo and WeChat hide

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[–] uebquauntbez@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

New feature is ... Putin has 0 points and is the goal to go to?

[–] TheBigBrother@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Don't feed the rusophobe Lemmy echo chamber!!

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Make an instance that federates both with mainstream Lemmy and Lemmygrad if you want both sides - and trust me, you don't.

[–] USNWoodwork@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (3 children)

So am I to take it from your inference that the Russian Lemmy site is called Lemmygrad?

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 0 points 3 months ago

Do your own research if you really want to verify that claim but bring a hazmat suit.

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 0 points 3 months ago

You know what an inference is and seem curious about the world...that will not play well in Lemmygrad. Good luck and Godspeed, tho.

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[–] CriticalMiss@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

The devs of this planet are lazy and rehashing content.

[–] Freefall@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

Let's see how the Make Russia China campaign goes!

[–] Scolding7300@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

I see the North Korea visit was pretty useful

[–] Hildegarde@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Russia now has a social credit system just like china and also the united states

[–] tudor@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

You see, in the States, your credit score is an indication of how likely you are to be responsible and comply with the terms of a loan or other bank-related contract. If you have a low score, you don’t get a loan, because the bank sees you as a risk that you will not give their money back. You can still live your life normally, even with a low score, and possibly even rebuild your score over time. Only what you do with money influences your credit score.

In China, the social credit score is an indication of how loyal you are to the regime. A low social credit score, which is earned by disrespecting the regime or not following the silliest of laws, forbids you from using public transport, buying stuff, or getting education.

You can’t miss that contrast.

[–] RecluseRamble@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 3 months ago

Every banking system has some kind of credit score. Social scoring is what's relatively new and has to keep us on edge because also governments of mostly free societies have a natural interest in such systems.

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 0 points 3 months ago

Indeed, thank you for some lucidity.

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[–] Deway@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

I give this news 5 MeowMeowBeenz.

[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 0 points 3 months ago (3 children)

“The social rating figures don’t affect [a person’s] life, the availability of services or the career trajectory in any way,” RSSU said on the platform’s website. “But who knows what these figures will mean for you in the future?”

Well that's a relief...

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago

When was the last time an entity that generated stats about someone didn’t end up with those stats being used to the detriment of the individual - or at the very least for the profit of another?

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