Netizens scoff at move to link default of phone bill to bank credit system

A recent announcement by a domestic telecom service provider－saying that mobile phone subscribers who fail to pay outstanding bills on time will be blacklisted in the People's Bank of China's individual credit system－has provoked widespread criticism online.

China Telecom's Jiangxi provincial branch said the regulation will come into effect beginning on Nov 1.

Many subscribers feel defaulting on mobile phone bills is no big deal. Many of them fail to pay the bills on time because they forget to do so. Therefore, they feel it is unfair to link somebody's carelessness with personal credit, which has a great impact on their social lives.

Some others argue that the telecom service providers often fail to provide quality service to subscribers, even creating hurdles for them, which sometimes leads to subscribers defaulting on payment.

For instance, many a time it is difficult to cancel mobile phone subscriptions because the procedure requires subscribers to go to the business office of the telecom service providers with whom they had signed a contract for service.

As migration of population is becoming so commonplace in modern society, many people find it difficult to take time out to go and cancel their mobile subscriptions. Many people thus reason that the service providers who fail to provide efficient and convenient subscription cancellation services are the ones to blame for so many unpaid bills.

China Telecom's Jiangxi branch reacted to the comments left by its users on social networking sites, saying that their pilot project will target subscribers who have run up astronomical arrears and will inform them in advance. However, netizens equated the move with a kind of abuse of personal credit system that undermines people's interests.

Personal credit is an evaluation of individuals' integrity levels and has a great effect on their daily lives. Incorporating an individual's behavior into his or her personal credit system should be done in a prudent manner to avoid abuse of personal credit and infringement of their legal rights and interests.