Please describe your proposed solution
The internet was initially designed to connect computers, not humans. Consequently, we find ourselves in an online identity crisis: either we remain fully anonymous and unverifiable, akin to bots, or we have to trust third parties with our personal data and risk the compromise of our privacy. This dilemma exposes us to a plethora of issues, including unconsented data collecting & trading, scams, doxing, harassment, identity theft, etc.
The online trust deficit, coupled with the rampant misinformation, extreme opinions, and bots, has transformed social media into a toxic environment. Here, diverse viewpoints are met with hostility rather than open dialogues.
Pew Research Center reveals that while social media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinions, 70% of users avoid posting about politics due to the fear of backlash. Moreover, vulnerable populations, including women and minorities, are significantly more likely to be harassed and pressured to self-censor. Their voices are routinely missing from this important civic sphere.
We believe that anonymity and verifiability are equally crucial for empowering individuals, particularly those who are marginalized, to speak up without fear of retaliation and participate in the local political life. Our solution will be the very first utilization of Proof of Passport combined with ZKorum’s innovative privacy-preserving protocol, to foster democratic discourse, paving the way to more inclusive and resilient societies.
On Agora, users would log in the forum, then associate to their account their proof of personhood, age, citizenship, city residence, etc using the Proof of Passport external app, and finally post using the zero-knowledge proof protocol ZKorum already developed. All content on Agora is cryptographically anonymous and verifiable. Even ZKorum’s backend will not be able to trace any post back to the author. The only personal data that ZKorum collects is the registered email address and the user’s proof of identity attributes.
Additionally, to control toxicity and cultivate a constructive environment, Agora will introduce an AI-powered solution for users to rephrase their posts more respectfully. Additionally, the moderation system is based on a p2p protocol to provide auditability and censorship-resistance. Our mission is to build a safe and open space, where everyone’s free to express themselves, civil and respectful with each other, confident in the source of information, and in control of their privacy.
According to cardano.org, Cardano’s stated purpose is “to enable Societies to pursue true democracy: self-governing, fair, and accountable.” As the upcoming presidential elections loom in many countries around the world, the importance of fostering open civil discourse becomes even more pronounced in increasingly polarized societies.
We have established a partnership with The Voices For Peace, a Ghana-based NGO, to launch our platform to foster peaceful community dialogues and enhance civic participation in anticipation of the Ghanaian election in December 2024. Our partner will present our solution and case studies to relevant stakeholders including local authorities, journalists, and UNESCO.
We will measure our platform’s impact via case studies carried out by our partner and KPIs include but are not limited to the numbers of Registered Users, Daily/Monthly Active Users, and Engagement Rate.