In the inexorable march of digital technology, one‘s identity is constantly being shaped, measured and defined by fellow citizens, private enterprises and public authorities. This affects the understanding of ourselves as voters, of others as honest citizens, and of heroes of bygone days which we once held dear in our hearts. While individuals‘ lives are...
Accountability in Data-Driven Regulation: A critique of the Joint Punishment Scheme under China‘s Social Credit System
This paper analyses the accountability problems in the deployment of big data in social governance by reviewing a core mechanism of the Social Credit System. The System subjects individuals to “joint punishments“ that would substantially affect their interests across various fields of social lives, if their credit records process the traits determined by state datasets...
Protection of Fallen Heroes and Freedom of Expression: A Comparative Study of Mainland China and the United States
In December 2017, mainland China came up with a draft law providing comprehensive protection for national heroes and martyrs. The draft law prohibits twisting, vilifying, and negating the deeds and spirit of national heroes and martyrs. Acts infringing their names, images, reputation or honor can also give rise to civil liability, and be subject to...
Rule by Data and the Quest for Data Justice: Lessons from China‘s Social Credit
Big data brings promises and perils. The US and EU have formulated various legal responses attempting to weed out the harm of big data analytics but harvest its benefits. The current legal concerns are largely on the harm of profiling, discrimination and misuse of personal data. This framework hinges on the identification of clear cases...
Social Media and the Right to Vote
This paper discusses the legal implications of social media for the free exercise of the right to vote. In the last years, social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook) have been responsible for the rise and fall of several politicians. Social media platforms influence voters in numerous ways: they promote political debate, increase the electoral participation of...
The Problem of Virtual Co-Location: China‘s Social Credit System and the Legal System of the Hong Kong SAR
The National-level policy for the development of a Social Credit System (SCS) in the PRC has been laid out in a Planning Outline adopted by the State Council in 2014. Due to be fully implemented by 2020, the SCS consists of a socially-embedded informational platform for reciprocal reporting and decision-making based on the ascription of...
Accountability and Transparency in Embodied AI: A Focus on Sociable Robots
Accountability and transparency are two critical principles in AI value alignment as defined by IEEE Ethically Aligned Design guidelines. In some cases, for instance intelligent robots, their autonomous behaviors are not only decided by algorithmic autonomy but also the characteristics of physical embodiment. In this presentation, I would like to investigate the relevance between AI...