WordSig: QR streams enabling platform-independent self-identification that's impossible to deepfake
This addresses the societal issue of deepfake deception for public figures and viewers, though it appears incremental as it builds on existing cryptographic and QR code technologies.
The paper tackles the problem of deepfake videos undermining trust in video content by introducing WordSig, a protocol that allows video participants to digitally sign their spoken words using QR code streams, enabling viewers to verify signatures across videos without relying on content distributors.
Deepfakes can degrade the fabric of society by limiting our ability to trust video content from leaders, authorities, and even friends. Cryptographically secure digital signatures may be used by video streaming platforms to endorse content, but these signatures are applied by the content distributor rather than the participants in the video. We introduce WordSig, a simple protocol allowing video participants to digitally sign the words they speak using a stream of QR codes, and allowing viewers to verify the consistency of signatures across videos. This allows establishing a trusted connection between the viewer and the participant that is not mediated by the content distributor. Given the widespread adoption of QR codes for distributing hyperlinks and vaccination records, and the increasing prevalence of celebrity deepfakes, 2022 or later may be a good time for public figures to begin using and promoting QR-based self-authentication tools.