Proof of Human Platforms
Adam.Terwilliger@adamterwilliger
· 1
+3.7%
since Oct 13 · after money added
The idea
I believe proof of being human is becoming the next real moat as AI makes fake accounts nearly free to generate. This basket owns the platforms best positioned to prove their users are real, from dating apps to communities to signing and meeting tools, plus a verification sellers slice so the idea still works even if one platform's rollout stumbles. I keep roughly a tenth in cash to add if these names sell off on a weak quarter, and I'm watching the next few quarters of reported numbers to see this thesis play out.
What it owns
- Advertisers pay more for platforms where posts, reviews and listings come from real people, which becomes scarcer as bots fill the rest of the internet. · Reddit, Inc.Its value comes from real people talking to each other, and that authenticity attracts advertisers moving budgets away from bot-filled platforms., Pinterest, Inc.Users plan things they actually want to buy, making the audience genuinely valuable to advertisers as fake traffic grows elsewhere., Yelp Inc.A review only matters if a real customer wrote it, and it has built years of trust by filtering fake and bot-written reviews., Etsy, Inc.Human-made goods gain competitive advantage as AI-generated inventory proliferates across other marketplaces, and the human-made promise holds only if Etsy enforces its policies against mass production and AI listings., Nextdoor Holdings, Inc.It ties accounts to real home addresses, so advertisers reach actual neighbors, and it just launched tools to sell that verified local audience.27%
- Companies that sell proof-of-human technology gain regardless of which platform wins adoption. · Clear Secure, Inc.It operates a biometric identity network people already trust at airports, and now runs verification pilots with government agencies beyond travel., Okta, Inc.It runs logins for many companies and is building phishing-resistant sign-in for an AI era while partnering with World ID on proof-of-human verification., Twilio Inc.It sends verification codes and runs the identity checks apps use to confirm sign-ups are from real people with real phone numbers., TransUnionIt sells data that helps companies spot fake identities and fraud, which becomes more useful as synthetic people get cheaper to create., Mitek Systems, Inc.It checks whether an ID photo and selfie are real and not a deepfake, which is the core problem platforms need to solve.25%
- Dating apps lose users and revenue when fake profiles and scammers dominate, so apps that verify members as real can win back both. · Match GroupTinder's Face Check verification cuts interactions with bad actors by more than half, and sign-ups resumed growing as members trust the app more., Bumble Inc.It is betting that a trust-first, cleaner app wins back daters who left other platforms for fake profiles and scammers., Grindr Inc.Verification addresses real safety risks on the platform and works as a paid feature because users value proof that potential matches are genuine people.21%
- Deepfakes cost the most when they appear in contracts and video calls, so tools that confirm a signer or caller is real become essential. · DocuSign, Inc.A contract only counts if the signer is who they claim to be, and DocuSign is a World ID partner for identity verification on digital signatures., Zoom Communications, Inc.Verified meetings protect against deepfake deception and create a defensible reason for business customers to pay for Zoom's security features.17%
- Cash10%