with the right to be forgotten
AI-generated content and online misinformation are making it harder to know what is real and trustworthy on the internet. The InReality platform addresses this problem by recording digital content as soon as it is created by verified and trusted sources, and by making sure the content cannot be secretly changed later. Even if parts of the system are hacked or manipulated, any tampering can still be detected.
Similar technology is already used to protect encryption keys for secure online communication, but current systems are difficult to scale and do not allow deletion of data, which is important for user privacy and the right to be forgotten. By making it possible to securely register and verify digital content at very large scale while still protecting privacy, the project could help improve trust in online media and information across society.
Keeping track of online content with the right to be forgotten
The project advances research in cryptography by creating a new type of transparency logs that are both scalable and privacy-preserving. To improve scalability, the project develops protocols where only small, randomly selected, and anonymous groups of users need to verify log consistency. These groups then produce cryptographic proofs that can be efficiently checked by everyone else.
To enable secure deletion of data without revealing who deleted it, the project combines advanced privacy technologies such as differential privacy, private information retrieval (PIR), and oblivious RAM (ORAM). Together, these techniques protect both user anonymity and the confidentiality of stored records.
The research is carried out in close collaboration between InReality and ITU, combining academic research with practical implementation. This helps ensure that the developed solutions can be used in real-world systems and create long-term scientific, commercial, and societal impact.
 |
Bernardo David – Associated professor – IT University Copenhagen
|
 |
Jeppe Nørregaard – Founder – InReality
|
