Even if the system applies equally to everyone, the biggest problem will be that civil disobedience is now completely banned. The government is now able to do whatever they want with impunity, and the citizens can't do anything about it.
The Blanks were people who have no record in the system.
Now that was a prescient TV show if I ever saw one.
[1] - http://www.maxheadroom.com/index.php?title=Episode_ABC.1.6:_...
[2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Headroom:_20_Minutes_into_...
Naively thinking this time it will be different is not understanding human nature.
And don't forget: If you are a model citizen, then it is all fun and games. You'll get benefits instead of punishment. The apps you use are highly gamified and use all the persuasive / behavioral tricks of the book. Many Chinese truly love the whole system. They think people with low scores + punishments really deserve that.
This is the same government that has killed 40-80 million of its own citizens since taking power in 1949. With impunity, if that was unclear.
The repression has lowered considerably during the economic boom of the last 3 decades, but it's naive to compare this new system to some liberal utopia. That is not what it's replacing.
The fact that Mao tried to have Deng assassinated goes to show that it became a different government when Deng ascended to power.
The fact that Xi was sent to a reeducation camp in the 70s and now he is the president of China shows this is a different government.
You can think of it as the same government, just ruled by a new set of people. It's not like there was a violent overthrow. The Party is still very much in control.
But these categorizations don't mean all that much.