News

China is counting videogame purchases against your credit score

The Chinese government, with the assistance of national internet oligopolists Alibaba and Tencent, is in the process of introducing a new form of credit score that will factor in political compliance, the actions of one’s acquaintances, and the products one chooses to buy. Under this scheme, buying videogames is a surefire way of lowering your credit score.  That’s right: A Chinese national who purchased The Witcher 3 will have a harder time getting a loan. The credit score ostensibly exists to simplify the task of deciding who should receive money from financial institutions and at what rate. Based on a series of…

News

The post-privacy sim Nothing to Hide gets more timely every day

“Kanye West is worried a drone will electrocute his daughter” and “Kanye West: I fear electrocution by drone” are wonderful headlines. They’re exactly the sort of thing we expect from the rapper—sensational, emotional, Tweet-able. The truth, though, is a little more complicated. Our increasing adoption of drones, and their increasing ubiquity, is cause for a sensible person’s concern. What would happen if a poorly operated one fell into a swimming pool or onto a highway? It’s not just that they exist increasing numbers; it’s that they exist with increasing familiarity. That’s what makes Team Nobody’s game Nothing to Hide so…