How a field report earns its place.

GROUND separates an uploaded claim from a reviewed observation. The public tape only contains accepted observations.

1. A bounded brief

Each mission names the company, product, retailer, exact store and question. At the store, the contributor records one short, continuous video of the target product, shelf and any visible price or stock label. Device location is captured separately. The brief states its reward terms before account creation.

2. Automated checks

The upload API checks that the stated observation time is within ten minutes of server receipt, that device location accuracy is at most 300 meters and within the target store area, and that the exact same video SHA-256 hash has not already been submitted for that mission. It also limits file size, mission capacity and daily submissions.

3. Human review

A reviewer compares the visible product, shelf and any price label with the submitted availability and price claims. The GPS reading is checked separately against the target location. The reviewer accepts or rejects the report and may leave a reason. Rejected reports do not appear on the public tape. A contributor can track the decision using a private receipt link.

4. What the checks cannot prove

GPS readings and timestamps can be spoofed. A video hash detects exact reuse, but it cannot catch edits or a new recording of the same shelf. A single visit is an observation at one time and place, not a complete measure of company sales, inventory or stock value. Public reports should be used with these limits in mind.

5. Privacy boundary

The public tape shows a city-level observation, product, stock status and visible price. Contact email, exact coordinates and raw video stay in the private review desk. Contributors should not film people, private conversations or restricted areas.

6. Payment and accounting

A mission is payable only if its brief explicitly states a funded reward and eligibility terms. The public fund records deposits and payouts with source references. Payouts in tokenized shares require a qualified provider and jurisdiction checks; a field observation does not imply ownership of any company shares.