Blockchain media authentication app eyes news journalism as primary use case

Decentralized infrastructure network provider Nodle has released the first version of its blockchain-based media authentication application called Click, which could prove useful in combatting artificially generated media and fake news. 

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, Nodle has developed a software development kit (SDK) for its ContentSign solution, which cryptographically proves the integrity of data captured by mobile devices using blockchain technology.

The Click application supports the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and is a member of the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI). The latter is a project led by Adobe and the Linux Foundation to create a future standard for media attestation.

In correspondence with Cointelegraph, Nodle CEO Micha Anthenor Benoliel said Click primarily serves photographers, citizen journalists, reporters, law enforcement, sports fans, paparazzi and content creators.

Ready to make fake news a thing of the past? The truth starts here. #clickyourtruth pic.twitter.com/T4lLrZgbJr

— Click Camera (@clickyourtruth) December 13, 2023

Given its association with the C2PA and the CAI, Benoliel adds that news and journalism are top use cases for the application. It is currently available on the Apple App Store, with an Android version in production.

Authenticating an image or video requires a user to capture the content using the Click app camera. The content is then signed and logged on Nodle’s underlying blockchain. It is then made available in the device’s local gallery and a Click’s public page, which includes attribution to the contributor.

Benoliel confirmed that images and videos authenticated via Click need to be taken with the Click app camera without interjecting other editing or generative artificial intelligence (AI) alterations, which removes the possibility of fake or generated images and videos being disseminated through the platform.

Stock image platforms like Getty and AFP remain a primary source for images and content for various industries, from newsrooms to advertising agencies. Benoliel said that Click envisages being a partner to these organizations as a “source of truth” for field-captured content:

“This puts the power in the hands of the content consumer when they approach Getty or AFP as they’d be able to see which images and videos are authenticated.”

Cointelegraph also enquired whether the platform considered intellectual property rights and accreditation issues of media captured at official events like the World Economic Forum and the FIFA World Cup.

“We plan to enable location and event-aware scenarios incorporating advanced attribution features or geofencing events so that only authorized press/people can capture images at such events,” Benoliel said.

The CEO also added that Nodle’s infrastructure is capable of storing large amounts of content:

“Currently, Click will store content off-chain and save only a record of it on the Nodle chain. This allows us to store over 20 million records a day to start, and we’ll accommodate higher volumes as we scale.”

Benoliel adds that the platform will always feature a free version of its product. At the same time, the upload volume available to users might change in the future with the provision of a premium offering.

The firm also notes that its platform is primarily used as an authentication tool for photo and video content to prove ownership and real-world authenticity of content. Currently, it does not offer photo or video detection or royalty management services.

The broader journalism industry has not quite tapped into the potential benefits of blockchain technology as a tool for immutable and transparent information storage and dissemination. Back in 2018, the Associated Press (AP) announced a content licensing partnership with blockchain-based startup Civil.

The project was poised to see the AP deliver content, including national and international news, to Civil. The platform was closed in 2020 as its team and technology joined Consensys to build identity solutions on Ethereum.

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