In his June 2024 letter, Todd Carpenter, Executive Director of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), introduces the International Standard Content Code (ISCC), recently published as ISO 24138.
Key points:
- ISCC is a new identification system for digital assets across all media sectors
- Unlike other ISO identifiers, ISCC is algorithmically derived from the file itself
- It supports data integrity verification and content similarity comparisons
- ISCC has been adopted by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) project
- While not replacing centralized systems like DOI, ISCC offers unique capabilities for digital content management
Carpenter discusses the growing importance of decentralized identifier systems in the context of AI-generated content and the need for robust provenance tracking. He suggests that while distributed systems like ISCC won’t replace centralized registries, they offer innovative applications in search, discovery, and content verification.
The article provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of digital content identification and its implications for information exchange and trust in the digital age.
