In August, Enigma announced a partnership with Datawallet, a decentralized consumer to business exchange. The partnership would see Datawallet use Enigma’s secret contract to create a tool for Sybil prevention.
Datawallet was aiming at creating a protocol that would sort out internet users and bots using social media profiles. It would also ensure that the data collected from social media accounts is not shared with third parties.
It seems the work has been done. On September 26, Enigma announced that they had collaboratively launched the “Bot or Not” tool with Datawallet. This tool will identify if a user is human or a bot using social media data.
How Does Bot or Not Work?
The Bot or Not tool will download data from social media sites on your computer. The data will be analyzed by Datawallet algorithms within the Enigma network. At this point, the Enigma team is adamant that this information will not be shared with any third parties. The result of the evaluation will determine whether the user is a real human or a bot.
Bot or Not Use Case
First, no more captchas (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart). In many websites looking to enhance security, this feature is common and it is meant to identify humans and bots. Although it enhances security for users, it is outright annoying. The new Bot or Not tool will take away the hassle of having to tick boxes and pick out images.
Datawallet CEO Serafin Lion Engel speaking to CoinDesk revealed that 37% of impressions in advertising networks are fraudulent and created by bots. This new tool will help advertisement companies sort out real impressions and bots. Ensuring that companies only pay for real impressions will streamline the advertisement industry.
The team also talks about future use like “Self-sovereign data”. Users will have control over their data and even though their data will be collected by Enigma, there is confidence that it will not be breached by third parties.
“Self-sovereign data is key to building usability in the decentralized web. We’re excited about Bot or Not because it enables users to assert their identity with confidence, without relying on a centralized platform to manage their identity for them. It’s an example of the type of new applications we can build when users actually own their data, and when we consider user data to be a key part of user identity.”
Security is key to blockchain projects and everyday projects are coming up with new ways to improve on it. The launch of the Bot or Not tool will go a long way to the success of identity authentication and usability on the decentralized web.
John is a finance and technology journalist with a growing interest in cryptocurrencies. Writing is his passion and when he’s not writing he’s listening to the Beatles.
