Framing Social Credit System: An Experimental Investigation of Social Credit System’s Chilling Effect on Freedom of Expression

Abstract

Studies on China’s social credit system (SCS) remain mostly theoretical and there is limited empirical research examining the surveillance effect under China’s SCS. This study investigates whether exposure to news framing of SCS affects individuals’ attitude, political online behavior, and opinion expression. Findings suggest exposure to negative framing of SCS chills participants’ intentions to engage in online political activities. Individuals who possess low levels of willingness to self-censor and are exposed to negative framing are more susceptible to the chilling effects of SCS, and thereby become cautious to share opinions, which in turn restricts their freedom of expression. Qualitative evidence reveals while most participants were supportive of SCS, yet still concerned about its privacy invasion and speech restriction issues. Implications for SCS as a means of surveillance are discussed.