Klout is shutting down, so your score REALLY doesn't matter now

Maybe it never did.

Sean Hollister Senior Editor / Reviews

When his parents denied him a Super NES, he got mad. When they traded a prize Sega Genesis for a 2400 baud modem, he got even. Years of Internet shareware, eBay'd possessions and video game testing jobs after that, he joined Engadget. He helped found The Verge, and later served as Gizmodo's reviews editor. When he's not madly testing laptops, apps, virtual reality experiences, and whatever new gadget will supposedly change the world, he likes to kick back with some games, a good Nerf blaster, and a bottle of Tejava.

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Sean Hollister

May 10, 2018 11:55 a.m. PT

Remember years ago when people were vaguely concerned that a single overarching social media "score" might define your status and self-worth in the real world? It was called Klout, and on Thursday, Klout announced it's officially shutting down, VentureBeat notes.

To all of our fans: after careful consideration we have decided to shut down the Klout website & the Klout Score. This will happen on May 25, 2018. It has been a pleasure serving you, and thank you for your ongoing support over the years. Details here: https://t.co/xCNdYachxF
— Klout (@klout) May 10, 2018

I will admit I had forgotten that Klout existed, and so I apologize if it was important to you. The last time I even thought about Klout was when I watched a fairly excellent episode of Black Mirror starring Bryce Dallas Howard that explored the Klout idea taken to such an extreme that all of society revolved around it.

It's not as far-fetched as all that: By 2020, China plans to give all of its 1.4 billion citizens a personal "social credit" score, based on how they behave.

Watch this: China turns to tech to monitor, shame, rate citizens

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