Dear friend,

Welcome to Frontier, the monthly newsletter from the Future of Property Rights Program at New America. FPR is excited to announce the release of our new report on self-sovereign identity and property rights. The paper, written by Yuliya Panfil and Chris Mellon, was published yesterday and is accessible below. Here's what else we've been up to: 

What We're Doing

The Credential Highway: How Self-Sovereign Identity Unlocks Property Rights for the Bottom Billion

How can our growing data trails be harnessed to secure property rights? In a new report, Yuliya Panfil and Chris Mellon argue that self-sovereign identity systems can help turn people's everyday data into a tapestry of evidence that property holders can use to document their rights.

Access their new report here.

Read the Reuters article, as well as companion pieces by FPR in The New America Weekly and on Good ID.

Why a Geocode is Not an Address

Chris Mellon wrote an opinion piece for Wired on why geocodes can't solve Puerto Rico's addressing problem.

What We're Getting Wrong with Blockchain-for-Land and How to Fix It

Tim Robustelli wrote an article for CoinTelegraph about the challenges surrounding the implementation of blockchain for land.

What We're Reading

"The Race to Develop the Moon" - The New Yorker

Rivka Galchen examines a reinvigorated space race, as private companies and emerging world powers join the fray to further explore, and even settle, the Moon. It has us thinking about land grabbing in space—will we see "lunar sooners" jump the gun and stake their claim to moon rock in the coming decades?

"Tracking Phones, Google is a Dragnet for the Police"

-  The New York Times

Jennifer Valentino-DeVries discusses the police's use of cell phone location data to both catch criminals and vindicate the innocent. There are certainly legitimate privacy concerns and the need for safeguards surrounding this use of personal information. But the article also demonstrates the power of new types of data for good—a trend we also explore in our new report on self-sovereign identity.

"The Tragedy of the Tragedy of the Commons" 

- Scientific American

Matto Mildenberger explains why Garrett Hardin's famous 'tragedy of the commons' term is so incorrect. It has us wondering: is it time to reclaim the commons?

Thoughts on our work or where we're headed? Feel free to reach out to us at FPR@NewAmerica.org.

Until next month, the FPR Team.

About New America

New America is dedicated to renewing America by continuing the quest to realize our nation's highest ideals. Read the rest of our story, or see what we've been doing recently in our latest Annual Report. 

The Future of Property Rights Program at New America focuses on bringing together technologists and policymakers to help solve land and property rights challenges around the world.

You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive newsletters from New America. Click to update your subscription preferences or unsubscribe from all New America newsletters.