The application of blockchain in the community and news media - combating fake photos (The New York Times experimental project)

Many people may still know little about the blockchain. In fact, the blockchain is a national ledger. Because everyone records it, the blockchain has several important features: immutability, decentralization, anonymity, and encryption. . If you want to know more about the blockchain, you can refer to this " Blockchain Classroom for Beginners ".

In 2019, the New York Times in the press conducted an experimental plan using the immutability of blockchain, hoping to help the public identify fake photos on social media, especially now that everyone is accustomed to using FB, IG, Twitter and other communities If the media deliberately use fake photos to bring the wind, it is easy to mislead the public. Especially now, many people will share with more people as long as they see photos or news. It is no wonder that a single spark can start a prairie fire. Not to mention that the election is coming, and there are all kinds of operations.

In 2017, a company called Cambridge Analytica was revealed to have obtained a large amount of user privacy data from Facebook. It is believed that Cambridge Analytica used the data to target Facebook users with biased news to help Trump win the US presidential election. The incident caused a lot of uproar at the time, and it still has a deep impact to this day.

In the past, many elders liked to share some information. I used to verify it before sharing. I found that almost 99% of this information is rumors and fake news. This is only the text part. If you attach photos or videos, it will be easier for people to believe. , after all, most people think that seeing is believing.

In the current era of information circulation, there are advantages and disadvantages. Because it is so convenient, it is easy for everyone to receive information and share it. There were even news reporters who used fake photos to write news, and only took them off the shelves when they found out. If even journalists can be deceived, let alone the general public.

The New York Times Experimental Project

The plan uses blockchain technology to create traceability for photos, enabling photos uploaded to social media platforms to view things like the photographer's name, the events depicted in the photo, the location where the photo was taken, and even whether the photo has been cited all historical records. The blockchain network behind the project is expected to be run by local media, national news and social media.

With this information, you can know whether some of the photos are related to what the PO writer said, because the blockchain cannot be tampered with. As long as the photos are uploaded on the chain, people in the future will not be able to use the old photos to make up new stories. Misleading, even through AI, it is possible to find on-chain photos with high photo similarity.

Reference article:

The New York Times Announces It Will Use Blockchain Technology to Fight Fake News

"New York Times" experimental plan: using blockchain to create "traceability" for Internet photos

How to fight fake news with blockchain?

Start by yourself and stop spreading fake news

This plan of the New York Times started in 2019, and there will be news released in 2020, but there is no updated news after that, so I don’t know if the experiment failed or is still in progress. No matter whether this experimental project fails or succeeds, I think it is a good start, representing that the application of blockchain is helpful to society, which is why I like the concept of blockchain very much, even if many people think it is hype or Bubble, because after reading the book Blockchain Revolution, I know that the blockchain can have good applications in many places, but he is still waiting for humans to discover him.

Regardless of whether this plan is successful or not, everyone can still learn how to stop fake news, don’t become a disseminator of fake news, don’t rush to share any information you receive or see, and learn to verify it first.

I am Little Frog, and I like to study all things in the blockchain. If you don’t know me, please read “Where is Little Frog Sacred (Self-Introduction) ”.

If you are new to blockchain and cryptocurrencies, you can start by reading the following articles.

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