Geo Debates App Aims to Rebuild Trust With Video Face-Offs

Seventy percent of people globally are cautious about trusting those with differing values or news sources. A majority believe this level of distrust is sufficient to make people work against each other. This pattern is clear in the comment threads of any tweet on divisive subjects.

The data originates from the 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer, surveying almost 34,000 individuals across 28 nations. This caution was consistent throughout age groups, income brackets, and in developed as well as emerging economies.

This distrust is mirrored on the platforms that have become the primary news sources for many. According to the Reuters Institute report, social media and video networks are now the most common channels for accessing online news. However, just 22% of users trust the news encountered on these platforms.

Geo, a knowledge network created by The Graph co-founder Yaniv Tal, introduced Geo Debates on September 22. The application pairs two individuals with opposing views on screen, using the same short vertical video format found in those news feeds.

Introducing Geo Debates! 🎉

Let’s get closer to the truth, together.

Explore short-form video debates on the questions that matter. Hear different perspectives. Make your case. Vote on what you find convincing.

Join the conversation today!https://t.co/8dtIdtpS5d

— Geo (@geoprotocol) September 22, 2026

Geo Debates Hands Each Side a Clock and Mutes the Other Mic

Every debate revolves around a single claim, and users must declare their position before Geo finds a match. The system then pairs each participant solely with someone who holds the opposite viewpoint.

The two debaters respond in timed, alternating video turns. While one is talking, the other's microphone is muted, preventing interruptions.

Afterward, Geo combines the recordings into a single subtitled split-screen video and posts it to a vertical feed. Viewers cast votes on who presented a more convincing argument and can tap on each claim to review its supporting evidence. Claims are labeled as either factual or opinion, but Geo does not judge their veracity.

Did a few of these today. Some interesting AI conversations.

What do you think about this one? Sign up and vote!https://t.co/ogjowzp0Hp pic.twitter.com/aJd3E9EdqV

— Yaniv Tal (@yanivgraph) September 22, 2026

This short-video structure aligns with current consumption habits. According to Reuters Institute figures, 77% of individuals watch online news videos weekly. On TikTok, news consumption tends toward clips shorter than two minutes.

Initial debates span topics like cryptocurrency, financial markets, artificial intelligence, politics, and culture — including a discussion on whether Bitcoin (BTC) surpasses gold as a store of value. Tal connects the format to the debating traditions of democracy and science.

“In order to get closer to the truth, we have to be able to examine issues from different sides. Democracies have a rich tradition of debate, as does the scientific community. Any institution that seeks to find truth or alignment requires healthy debate, and I think we need to bring this into the internet age,” said Yaniv Tal.

Geo Files Each Claim in a Knowledge Graph With Web3 Roots

After a debate concludes, Geo pulls out each participant's claims and records them under their name. Other users can then select any of those claims and challenge them in a new debate.

Geo frames its network as a source of knowledge for humans and AI, maintaining transparency about sources. Much of the sourcing relies on users, as the site encourages visitors to contribute sources and context as curators.

Geo's cryptocurrency origins are evident in its knowledge graph. The Graph’s blog notes that Geo is a core developer on the protocol. Its previous app, Geo Genesis, employed The Graph's GRC-20 standard for shared knowledge graphs to publish data on the blockchain. Geo has not confirmed whether debate claims are similarly recorded onchain.

Tal attributes the project's inspiration to misinformation related to the 2016 US election and the muddled public discourse around COVID-19.

A Crowd Vote Can Crown the Better Performer

The voting outcome indicates which participant viewers believe delivered a more compelling argument. This opens the possibility for a charismatic speaker to prevail even with flimsy evidence.

Reuters Institute data reveals that audiences already distinguish between appeal and trust when evaluating news sources. They find such creators more entertaining and relatable than traditional media, yet less trustworthy and impartial. Voting on the stronger case might favor those appealing traits rather than trustworthiness.

Recent research indicates that format influences outcomes. A 2024 study paired 582 UK Labour and Conservative voters for 10-minute unstructured conversations.

After the chats, sympathy for the opposing side increased, but primarily when pairs agreed or discovered common ground. When they only disagreed, sympathy remained unchanged. Overall, the conversations did not alter opinions.

Geo pairs only those with opposing views, the scenario where the effect was least pronounced. Nevertheless, the willingness to engage across party lines increased even among disagreeing pairs, persisting for two to three weeks.

“Rage bait” was Oxford’s 2025 Word of the Year.

Its use tripled in the last 12 months.

The internet got very good at teaching us how to react to people we disagree with.

We need better places to practice understanding them.

Curiosity. Broader perspectives. Common ground.

— Geo (@geoprotocol) September 16, 2026

In contrast, X's Community Notes uses crowd judgment in a different way. A note is only shown publicly after enough contributors with diverse perspectives rate it as helpful. Geo has not disclosed whether its voting considers the pre-existing viewpoints of voters.

Each debate requires two participants willing to argue on video, and claims need curators to add supporting sources. This goes against a trend noted by the Reuters Institute, where fewer people are posting on social platforms and more are simply scrolling.

Once a split-screen clip circulates outside Geo, it could be edited to show only one side. Tal designed the app so that arguments would outlast the feed. But first, Geo must convince enough users to stop scrolling and appear on camera.