The Originator Profile (OP) Collaborative Innovation Partnership (OP-CIP) (Chief Director: Jun Murai, Senior Advanced Research Project Professor, Keio University) recently applied to participate in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications(MIC)“Development and Demonstration Projects for Countermeasure Technologies against Dis-/Mis-information on the Internet.” As a result, it has been selected to develop and demonstrate Originator Profile (OP) technology for identifying content originators and detecting tampering, with a view to the technology’s social implementation.
Disinformation and misinformation, along with the attention economy, have become serious social concerns. By developing and deploying technology for identifying content originators and detecting tampering, OP-CIP seeks to enable users to verify website administrators and content originators, thus preventing the spread of disinformation and misinformation. It thereby aims to create a safe, secure online environment for users. In the course of demonstrating the technology, progress will be made on the following initiatives.
• Objectives of Demonstrating the Technology
1. Implementing OP on More Websites
An environment will be created that enables OP technology to be implemented smoothly and simply, and media outlets, local governments, and ordinary businesses will be called on to deploy OP technology.
2. Developing and Supplying OP Verification Tools
Work will continue on developing Inspector, an OP verification tool for developers. Specifications for a more visually intuitive UI geared to ordinary users will also be examined.
3. Further Development of OP Technology
Steps will be taken to increase the technology’s versatility, including enhancing usability with respect to key management and considering how OP can be applied beyond websites.
4. Further Efforts at International Standardization
Further recommendations will be made to the relevant standardization body, and the frequency of technical specification updates will be increased in both Japanese and English, stimulating discussion within the community.
5. Promoting Use of OP in Advertising
Discussions will proceed on the possibility of using OP in digital advertising. Specifications will be examined while considering their feasibility in the existing ecosystem.
• What Is OP Technology?
OP technology makes it possible to verify information identifying the originator of content on the internet, such as news articles and advertisements. It enables internet users to ascertain (1) who the content creator is, (2) who the content originator is, and (3) whether the content has been tampered with. It thus simplifies the task of determining the authenticity of the information.
For further information, please visit the OP-CIP website at https://originator-profile.org/en-US/ .
• Comment by Jun Murai, Senior Advanced Research Project Professor at Keio University and Chief Director of OP-CIP
OP-CIP’s proposal has been selected as one of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “Development and Demonstration Projects for Countermeasure Technologies against Dis-/Mis-information on the Internet.” I would like to express our gratitude for the understanding and expectations this initiative has garnered from many quarters, and for the recognition accorded to the efforts of those participating directly in it.
In the three and a half years since the partnership was established in December 2022, the number of participating corporations has risen to 49. Repeated trials have been performed to demonstrate the technology, and preparations for its full-scale deployment are falling into place. Meanwhile, active efforts are under way to make it the international norm as part of the internet’s technical standards. Achieving social implementation of OP technology, and bringing it into increasing use in the media and advertising, will help create a more secure, dependable internet environment, enhancing the public good as a result.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications program is being implemented with the goal of providing technological solutions to social issues in the digital information space. This is in response to a spate of cases of disinformation and misinformation being spread on social media in the aftermath of the January 2024 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula, as well as the deluge of disinformation and misinformation that occurs during elections. By participating in the program, we are committed to making our own contribution.
OP technology is expected to ensure secure communications not only for the media and advertising industry but also for national and local governments and companies that serve the public interest. Going forward, we will continue working hard to bring OP technology into practical use, advance its social implementation, and establish it as an international standard.
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