251 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
251 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
# "Proximity" — A Near-Field Social Connection App
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## Product Proposal & iOS Technical Design Specification
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---
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## 1. Executive Summary
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**Proximity** is an iOS application that reimagines social networking around *physical presence* rather than *online profiles*. The core premise: technology has made us hyper-visible to institutions (AirTags, Flock cameras, location tracking) while simultaneously making us invisible to each other. Proximity inverts this — it uses the same proximity-sensing hardware to let strangers in the real world acknowledge each other as human beings.
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The defining constraint, and the product's soul: **you cannot connect with someone unless you are physically near them.** There is no global search, no "add by username," no online-only discovery. The network graph grows only through real-world encounters.
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---
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## 2. Problem Statement
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| The Problem | The Evidence |
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| Urban isolation | People pass thousands of strangers daily without interaction |
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| Asymmetric surveillance | We're tracked by cameras and tags, but never "seen" by each other |
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| Parasocial networking | Online platforms connect us to people we never meet, while eroding local community |
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| Attention economy | Apps optimize for time-on-screen, not real-world connection |
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**The insight:** The *same* hardware stack used to surveil us (UWB, BLE beacons, geolocation) can be repurposed for *mutual, consented, human connection*.
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---
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## 3. Product Vision
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> *"A social network you can only enter by being physically present. Every connection is a real-world encounter. The map is your neighborhood, not the internet."*
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**Core loop:**
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1. **Opt in** — You signal "I'm open to connection" (a digital handshake-ready state).
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2. **Encounter** — You pass someone nearby who has also opted in.
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3. **Handshake** — Devices exchange anonymous tokens via proximity hardware.
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4. **Grow the network** — The encounter becomes a "possible connection" in your graph.
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5. **Optional reveal** — Either party can choose to reveal identity and start a conversation.
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---
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## 4. How It Works (Product Behavior)
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### 4.1 Distance Tiers
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Proximity operates across a spectrum of physical range, each using different technology:
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| Tier | Range | Technology | Use Case |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| **Tier 1 — "Right here"** | 0–9 m | UWB (Nearby Interaction) | Precise, directional handshake — "this exact person" |
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| **Tier 2 — "Nearby"** | 10–100 m | BLE / iBeacon | Room, cafe, street-corner presence |
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| **Tier 3 — "In the area"** | 100 m–50 mi | Server + opt-in location | Regional community graph, events, neighborhoods |
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### 4.2 The Encounter Flow
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1. Both users have **"Open to Connect"** toggled on.
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2. As they approach, devices exchange **ephemeral anonymous tokens** (no names, no photos, no personal data).
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3. A subtle, non-intrusive notification: *"You passed 3 people who are open to connection."*
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4. The encounter is stored as a **"Possible Connection"** — a silhouette, not a profile.
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5. If both parties **mutually** choose to "wave," identities are revealed and a chat opens.
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### 4.3 Anti-Harassment & Consent
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- **Mutual opt-in required** for any reveal. No unilateral contact.
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- **Silhouette-only** until mutual consent.
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- **Block/ignore** removes you from the graph permanently.
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- **Incognito mode** — be present but invisible.
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---
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## 5. Technical Architecture
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### 5.1 The Honest Constraint (Important)
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iOS imposes hard limits on background proximity sensing. A naive "always-on background scanner" is **not possible** on iOS. The design must work *with* the platform:
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| Framework | Foreground | Background | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| **Core NFC** | ✅ Read/write NDEF tags | ❌ No background reading; no card emulation | Requires user-initiated tap; short range (~4 cm) |
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| **Nearby Interaction (UWB)** | ✅ Precise ranging (~9 m) | ❌ Not available in background | Requires U1/U2 chip (iPhone 11+) |
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| **Core Bluetooth** | ✅ Advertise + scan | ⚠️ Severely restricted; ~1 advertisement | Background scanning unreliable |
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| **Core Location (iBeacon)** | ✅ | ✅ Region monitoring works in background | The *only* reliable background mechanism |
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**Architectural conclusion:** Use a **hybrid, foreground-first** model where the phone is the active "handshake device," supplemented by **iBeacon region monitoring** for background wake-ups and **push notifications** to prompt re-engagement.
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### 5.2 System Diagram
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```
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
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│ iOS Client (Swift) │
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│ │
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│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌───────────────┐ │
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│ │ NearbyInter. │ │ CoreBluetooth│ │ CoreLocation │ │
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│ │ (UWB) │ │ (BLE) │ │ (iBeacon) │ │
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│ └──────┬───────┘ └──────┬───────┘ └───────┬───────┘ │
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│ │ │ │ │
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│ └────────┬────────┘ │ │
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│ ▼ ▼ │
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│ ┌────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ │
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│ │ Encounter │ │ Region Monitor │ │
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│ │ Engine │ │ (background) │ │
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│ └───────┬────────┘ └────────┬─────────┘ │
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│ ▼ ▼ │
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│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
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│ │ Local Graph Store (SQLite) │ │
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│ └───────────────────┬──────────────────────┘ │
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└─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┘
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│ HTTPS (TLS 1.3) / WebSocket
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▼
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┌─────────────────────┐
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│ Backend (Server) │
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│ - Token relay │
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│ - Graph database │
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│ - Push (APNs) │
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│ - Consent ledger │
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└─────────────────────┘
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```
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---
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## 6. iOS Technical Design (Swift)
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### 6.1 Target & Minimums
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- **Minimum iOS:** 15.0 (UWB/NI requires 14+; 15 for broader BLE reliability)
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- **Recommended:** iOS 17+ for modern concurrency and background improvements
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- **Hardware:** iPhone 11 or newer (U1/U2 chip for UWB); BLE fallback for older devices
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- **Language:** Swift 5.9+ with Swift Concurrency (async/await)
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### 6.2 Framework Usage
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**Nearby Interaction (UWB)** — Tier 1 handshake
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```swift
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import NearbyInteraction
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final class UWBHandshake: NSObject, NISessionDelegate {
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private var session = NISession()
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private var peerToken: NIDiscoveryToken?
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func beginHandshake(peerToken: NIDiscoveryToken) {
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session.delegate = self
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session.delegateQueue = .main
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let config = NINearbyPeerConfiguration(peerToken: peerToken)
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session.run(config)
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}
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func session(_ session: NISession,
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didUpdate nearbyObjects: [NINearbyObject]) {
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guard let object = nearbyObjects.first else { return }
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// object.distance (meters), object.direction (vector)
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if let distance = object.distance, distance < 2.0 {
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triggerEncounter() // within ~2m → mutual handshake
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}
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}
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}
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```
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**Core Bluetooth (BLE)** — Tier 2 presence
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```swift
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import CoreBluetooth
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// Advertise an ephemeral, rotating service UUID (privacy)
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let serviceUUID = CBUUID(string: "A1B2...") // rotates per session
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peripheralManager.startAdvertising([
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CBAdvertisementDataServiceUUIDsKey: [serviceUUID],
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CBAdvertisementDataLocalNameKey: "" // empty = anonymous
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])
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```
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**Core Location (iBeacon)** — Tier 2 background wake-up
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```swift
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let region = CLBeaconRegion(
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uuid: UUID(uuidString: "...")!,
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identifier: "proximity.region"
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)
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locationManager.startMonitoring(for: region) // works in background
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```
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**Core NFC** — Tier 1b, physical tap (optional "meet at the door" mode)
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```swift
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import CoreNFC
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// NFCNDEFReaderSession — foreground, user-initiated tap
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// Used for "tap phones to connect" at events/doors
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```
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### 6.3 Data Model (Local SQLite via SwiftData/Core Data)
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```
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User (local identity)
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├── PublicKey (for E2E handshake)
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├── Preferences (open-to-connect, radius, incognito)
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└──
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Encounter
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├── EncounterID (UUID)
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├── AnonToken (ephemeral, rotating)
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├── Timestamp
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├── GeoHash (coarse, optional)
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├── DistanceTier (1/2/3)
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└── Status (.silhouette, .mutual, .blocked)
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Connection
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├── UserA, UserB
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├── MutualConsent (bool)
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├── RevealedAt
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└── ChatThreadID
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```
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### 6.4 Privacy & Security Architecture
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- **Ephemeral rotating tokens** — no persistent identifiers broadcast.
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- **End-to-end encryption** for revealed conversations (Signal-style, via libsodium or CryptoKit).
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- **Zero-knowledge graph** — server sees tokens, not identities.
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- **On-device consent ledger** — the user controls all data.
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- **Right to be forgotten** — delete account purges graph + tokens.
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- **No location history stored server-side** by default.
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---
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## 7. MVP Scope (v1.0)
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| Feature | Priority | Framework |
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| Opt-in "Open to Connect" toggle | P0 | — |
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| Foreground UWB handshake (Tier 1) | P0 | NearbyInteraction |
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| Silhouette encounter list | P0 | SwiftData |
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| Mutual "wave" → reveal + chat | P0 | WebSocket + CryptoKit |
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| BLE presence (Tier 2) | P1 | CoreBluetooth |
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| iBeacon background wake-up | P1 | CoreLocation |
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| Regional graph (Tier 3, 50 mi) | P2 | Backend |
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| NFC tap-to-connect | P2 | CoreNFC |
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| Block/incognito/privacy controls | P0 | — |
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---
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## 8. Key Risks & Mitigations
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| Risk | Mitigation |
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| iOS background sensing limits | Foreground-first UX; iBeacon + push for background; set expectations |
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| Battery drain (UWB/BLE) | Duty-cycling, session timeouts, user-controlled scanning windows |
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| Harassment / stalking | Mutual consent, silhouettes, blocking, no persistent IDs |
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| Cold start (network effect) | Event mode, "meet at the door" NFC, regional Tier 3 seeding |
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| App Store privacy review | Transparent privacy nutrition labels; clear consent flows |
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---
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## 9. Roadmap
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- **Phase 0 (4–6 wks):** Tech spike — UWB handshake + BLE presence proof-of-concept.
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- **Phase 1 (8–12 wks):** MVP — Tier 1 handshake, silhouettes, mutual reveal, chat.
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- **Phase 2:** Tier 2/3, background monitoring, regional graph.
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- **Phase 3:** Android interoperability (via BLE + server relay), events, communities.
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---
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## 10. Summary
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**Proximity** is a deliberate counterpoint to both the surveillance state *and* the attention economy. It uses the same proximity hardware that tracks us — UWB, BLE, geolocation — to restore what that tracking erases: **mutual, consensual, real-world human connection.** The technical design is feasible on iOS today using a hybrid of Nearby Interaction, Core Bluetooth, Core Location, and Core NFC, with a privacy-first architecture where the network graph grows only through physical presence.
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