China blocked ‘discredited’ citizens from booking flights and trains 23 million times last year using a controversial social credit system designed to discourage antisocial behaviour.

Citing a leaked government report, the Associated Press reported that people with scores below set levels were denied permission to book plane tickets 17.5 million times and train tickets 5.5 million times in 2018.

The blacklisting forms part of a social credit system designed to discourage bad behaviour and crime. Under the system, citizens are docked social credit points for anything from not paying taxes, littering, walking pets without a leash, refusing to obey official’s instructions or making fake advertisements.

Companies can also be docked points, and firms which are blacklisted will risk losing government contracts or access to bank loans.

The system was first unveiled in 2014 but has only been rolled out for widespread use over the past years, with the Chinese government saying it wants it to be functioning across the country by 2020.

Human rights activists have slammed the system as “Orwellian” and say the system risks unfairly labelling people as untrustworthy. They also point to concerns about the Chinese government collecting biometric and DNA data on citizens from minority ethnic groups such as the Uighurs, who face discrimination.

Advocates of the system say it will stop poor behaviour, such as incidents of passengers refusing to give up train seats, and point to government claims that around $22 million in overdue fines has flowed in since the system was first announced.