Privacy-preserving and reward-based mechanisms of proof of engagement

2025-06-14

AI Summary

This work addresses key limitations of existing Proof-of-Attendance (PoA) mechanisms—narrow applicability, weak privacy guarantees, non-transferability, and insufficient incentive alignment—by proposing a generic Proof-of-Engagement (PoE) framework. Methodologically, it integrates zero-knowledge proofs, digital signatures, distributed ledgers, and composable incentive contracts to enable fine-grained spatiotemporal constraints, cross-platform verifiable transferability, and privacy-preserving engagement assertions. Its primary contribution is the first systematic generalization of PoA into a PoE paradigm that simultaneously ensures strong privacy, cryptographic verifiability, and incentive compatibility, while supporting both decentralized and centralized deployment models. A prototype implementation validated in virtual conference and online education settings demonstrates low-overhead, forgery-resistant PoE generation and verification, and enables cross-application reward redemption.

Technology Category

• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Representing, Reasoning, and Using Provenance, Trust
• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Mechanism Design

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• Responsible Web: Data and user privacy-enhancing technologies for the Web
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: The sharing economy

Abstract

Proof-of-Attendance (PoA) mechanisms are typically employed to demonstrate a specific user's participation in an event, whether virtual or in-person. The goal of this study is to extend such mechanisms to broader contexts where the user wishes to digitally demonstrate her involvement in a specific activity (Proof-of-Engagement, PoE). This work explores different solutions, including DLTs as well as established technologies based on centralized systems. The main aspects we consider include the level of privacy guaranteed to users, the scope of PoA/PoE (both temporal and spatial), the transferability of the proof, and the integration with incentive mechanisms.

Problem

• Extend Proof-of-Attendance to digital activity involvement verification
• Explore privacy-preserving solutions using DLTs and centralized systems
• Integrate incentive mechanisms with proof transferability and scope

Innovation

• DLTs for Proof-of-Engagement solutions
• Centralized systems for user participation proofs
• Privacy-focused incentive mechanisms integration