jakiro
Recently a16z proposed a“Staked Media”The concept is very interesting.Considering that social media is now full of AI accounts, fake news looks just like the real thing, and ordinary users simply don’t have the time and energy to distinguish whether it is true or false.
The predictions of “Pledged Media” are not far-fetched.Maybe it will appear in the next 2 years.
Then,What is pledged media?
Simply put,Through encryption technologies such as zk, the media or individuals can prove that they are trustworthy, which is similar to “creating a document” online. This “credential” will be on the chain and cannot be tampered with.It’s not enough to just have written documents, you also need to “pledge something” as a guarantee.For example, use ETH, USDC or other crypto tokens.This is used to prove that the published content is true and reliable.If the news is proven to be false, the pledged assets will be confiscated..This creates an environment that encourages truth-telling.
Nowadays, AI-generated articles or videos are everywhere, and fake news is also flying everywhere.Pledge media is to make people who publish content more cautious rather than speaking casually.To give a simple example, if a YouTuber posts a video saying that a certain product is good, he or she has to “establish evidence” on the Ethereum chain and stake some ETH or USDC.If the video is fake, the money is gone and the audience is relieved.For another example, imagine that you are a blogger and post a post recommending a mobile phone. You have to stake $100 of ETH on the Ethereum chain. Lizi said, “If the beauty function of the mobile phone does not achieve a certain effect, I will compensate you.”When the audience sees you betting money, they think you are reliable.If the video is made up by AI, the $100 is gone.
How can I play with staking?You can imagine that.
Regardless of whether it is a big V/big media or a small V, when posting, you need to “create a document” on the chain (such as Ethereum) (just sign for verification), and at the same time deposit a token (such as ETH/USDT) into a specific smart contract. If the content is false, the money will be forfeited (given to the victim or destroyed). If the content is good, the money can be returned after a certain period of time, and you can even get rewards (such as tokens pledged by the media itself/funds forfeited from other fake content, etc.).
The specific pledge amount can be determined according to the rules of the platform.When big media/big V publish important news, they pledge more tokens, such as tokens worth hundreds or thousands of dollars or more; when small V publish daily content, they may only need tens of dollars.It can be linked according to the influence of the content (there is a floating algorithm). The greater the influence, the more pledges.
Staking does cost more money for the media, but it can gain the trust of the audience, which is also a cost in the era of fake news.
However, how to judge whether it is true or false?Double-checked by community + algorithm.In the community, users with voting rights (who need to pledge encrypted assets) vote on the chain. If it exceeds a certain proportion, such as 60% or higher, it is judged to be false. In addition, algorithms need to use data for analysis and assistance.If the person who posted the content is dissatisfied, he or she can initiate arbitration, which will then be conducted through an expert committee.If a voter is found to be manipulating maliciously, the voter’s funds will be confiscated.There are rewards for participating in voting and becoming a member of the expert committee.Rewards come from forfeitures and the media’s own tokens.
In addition, content producers can use ZK technology to generate proof of true origin from the beginning, such as using ZK technology to generate videos.
What if a rich person cheats? A rich person can pledge a lot of money to fake news. As long as the income is large enough, he may do it.
There are not only pledged funds, but also historical records and reputation systems.Accounts with records of fines and confiscations will be labeled, and the pledge funds for future content will also be increased.If an account is confiscated three or four times, it will be difficult for people to believe the content they post later, and there will be legal accountability in the end.Therefore, if there is a high cost for fraud, it will not only involve funds, but also the trust formed over time, historical records, reputation system, and actual legal liability.
Perhaps a Pledged Media project is already on the way.
