Intro
The Proven system allows independent verification of exactly when a photograph was taken: down to the second, with multiple methods of verification, and the ability for third parties to introduce their own more sophisticated verification methods such as proving the location or contents of the photograph.
Example: A journalist takes a picture of a police officer firing a gun at an unarmed man at a protest. The file contains a unique number broadcast globally and recorded publicly, which proves that it was taken no earlier. The file is uploaded to a distributed, censorship-resistant file sharing service, and its signature is recorded in a public ledger, which proves that it was taken no later. The journalist can now prove when the image was taken. An editor, reader, prosecutor or judge can independently verify the provenance of this image, which can serve as high quality evidence that is resistant to censorship and manipulation.
About
It’s hard to detect whether a photograph has been manipulated. Journalists, lawyers, prosecutors, and everyday people have a hard time knowing whether an image is for real, and an even harder time convincing others that it wasn’t fabricated or modified. Soon you will not believe anything you don’t see directly with your own eyes: filters on mobile applications can already modify images in real-time.
As a hostage holds up a newspaper with today’s date on it to prove a photograph was taken after a given date, a printed newspaper showing that photograph is held in a library where it can be reviewed. As we rapidly abandon printed records, new methods of proof are needed.
The Proven system allows verification of exactly when a photograph was taken: down to the second, with multiple methods of verification. It also includes methods for proving the location and contents of the photograph, and a system for independent verification and discovery.
Example: A journalist takes a picture of a police officer firing a gun at an unarmed man at a protest. The file contains a unique number broadcast globally and recorded publicly, which proves that it was taken no earlier. The file is uploaded to a distributed, censorship-resistant file sharing service, and its signature is recorded in a public ledger, which proves that it was taken no later. The journalist can now prove when the image was taken. An editor, reader, prosecutor or judge can independently verify the provenance of this image, which can serve as high quality evidence that is resistant to censorship and manipulation.
Proven is built on the Ethereum platform which embodies a new paradigm in distributed computing. It is based on Blockchain technology popularized by Bitcoin, and it is a fully decentralized, censorship-resistant platform for data and applications powered by smart contracts. Whereas with Bitcoin it is difficult to do more than send money to one or more recipients, Ethereum provides a flexible platform for building contracts and programs of unlimited complexity, without having to trust in a provider like Amazon, Google, or Apple which can be pressured by governments or penetrated by hackers.
The computer industry goes through periodic shifts. We’re seeing the end of the shift to mobile from desktop, and the shift to cloud from local network. Before was the shift to personal computers from minicomputers, and previously the shift to departmental minicomputers from corporate mainframes. This will continue to evolve, as mobile and cloud technologies are useful but require that users place unlimited trust in their service providers.
Team
Proven was created by a partnership of two software professionals in Barcelona and Toronto, Canada. Chuck LeDuc, CEO and CMO, is a former director of software development for a multinational software accounting firm responsible for the conception and launch of new web-based small-business services. Jamie Hale, CTO and CFO, is an experienced business owner and engineer with his own software development and consulting business.
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