As part of the country's new "social credit system", Chinese citizens with poor 'social credit' rating are at risk of being banned to purchase either train or plane tickets for a year according to the statement of the National Development and Reform Commission on Friday.
Under the new social credit system, citizens are ranked or rated based on their backgrounds and behaviors and depending on their offenses and misdeeds, the government would then determine which things they could purchase, say or do. Those under the low score brackets will be faced with penalties and restrictions depending on the severity of their situation. The system has yet to be completed, but it is said the full version of the system will be up and running by 2020.
This is not the first time China ordered a restriction for travel for those with debts and financial problems. Last year, the country banned LeEco and Faraday Future founder Jia Yueting from travelling out of the country after being placed under blacklist by the Supreme People's Court.
Aside from financial mishaps and criminal behavior, citizens who spread "false information about terrorism", cause public panic on flights, use expired tickets and smoking on trains can be banned for travel as well.
Although the rules are not new, many groups have argued that the rules further restricts the citizen's rights and there were no clear details on how one can determine if they are in the blacklist, as well as details on how can it be lifted.
