Content credentials (C2PA)
Also called C2PA, content provenance, Content Credentials
What are content credentials?
Content credentials are tamper-evident metadata attached to an image, video, audio or document file that record where it came from and how it was made: the creator, the tools used, the edits applied and whether AI was involved. They follow the C2PA standard, an open specification from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity.
Credentials are cryptographically signed, so changes to the file or its history can be detected. Some cameras, editing apps and AI image generators add them automatically, and some sites and social platforms read them to show a small 'CR' icon or an AI label.
Content credentials work alongside invisible AI watermarks. Metadata can be stripped when a file is screenshotted or re-encoded, while a watermark is embedded in the pixels or audio, so the two are often used together.
Why content credentials matter
As synthetic media spreads, being able to show that your photos are real, or that you disclosed AI use, supports trust. Platforms already use credentials to apply AI labels automatically.
For brands, provenance also helps against impersonation: a signed original is easier to defend than an unsigned file when fakes circulate.
How to check content credentials
- Look for a CR icon or AI info label where the file is shown.
- Upload the file to a public content credentials verify tool to read its history.
- Check whether it was captured by a camera, edited or generated by AI.
- Remember that missing credentials do not prove a file is fake; many tools do not add them yet.
Content credentials FAQ
What does C2PA stand for?
Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity, the industry group behind the open standard for content credentials.
Do Instagram and TikTok read C2PA?
Several major platforms read C2PA metadata and other signals to apply AI labels. Support and labels change over time, so check each platform's current help pages.
Related terms
An AI watermark is a visible mark or hidden signal embedded in AI-generated content so software can later identify it as AI-made.
Synthetic media is any image, video, audio or text created or substantially changed by AI, from AI voiceovers to generated photos and avatars.
A deepfake is AI-generated or AI-altered video, audio or images that realistically show a real person saying or doing something they did not.
Brand safety is protecting a brand's reputation by keeping its ads and content away from harmful contexts and its own content free of risky claims.
An AI image generator is a tool that creates images from a text description, and sometimes from a reference image, using a trained AI model.