Universal Location Proofs
Technically it is extremely difficult (if not impossible) to create a definitive proof that some information was created at a specific physical location.
There are technical ways to improve trust in the position - signing position captured by the sensor triangulating with the GPS or FOAM network in a secure enclave, for example. It would require a special app or - eventually - a plugin for mobile crypto wallets that allows users to generate the “universal location check-ins” (credit @jabyl from Distributed Town for his help thinking this through).
Additional layers of trust could be built on a location by incorporating other sensor readings (like from a camera or microphone), as could requiring users to scan a cycling QR code only available at the location, form social check-ins in which they verify that the others were present, etc.
We’ve been doing some early thinking about zero-knowledge location proofs as well, which prove that a point is inside a polygon without revealing the user’s position. This could then be verified on chain, enabling location-based smart contracts that preserve the user's privacy. Applications include local currencies, intelligent mobility systems, dynamic game preserves, detecting illegal and unregulated fishing in Maritime Protected Areas, location-anchored games and a lot more.
We have not looked into what work on this has been done in any meaningful sense - Tux at NuCypher was interested but we're not sure if they’ve looked at it any further. We don’t have any cryptographers working with us so right now.
Last modified 1yr ago