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What is C2PA.

Short answer

Content Credentials is the plain-language name for a C2PA manifest: signed data embedded in a file that records its origin and edits, such as the signer, the tool used and whether the file declares AI generation. A valid signature shows the data has not changed since it was signed; it does not prove that the statements inside are true.

Official source: C2PA Technical Specification 2.2

What is inside a C2PA manifest

  • Assertions — statements about the asset, for example how it was made or edited.
  • A claim — a digitally signed, tamper-evident data structure that references a set of assertions.
  • A claim signature — created with the private key owned by a signer.

Together: “the set of information about the provenance of an asset based on the combination of one or more assertions … a single claim, and a claim signature” (C2PA Specification 2.2, Section 2.3.4).

How AI generation is declared

A manifest can state a digital source type for the content. For AI-generated media the vocabulary is the IPTC term trainedAlgorithmicMedia. It is a declaration by the signer, not a measurement of the pixels. You can read it in any file with the Content Credentials checker.

What a signature does and does not show

  • It shows the signed claim was not changed after signing, and which certificate signed it.
  • It does not show that the statements inside are true, or that the signer deserves trust.
  • It cannot be read from a file whose metadata was removed; see why metadata gets stripped.

Questions

What does C2PA stand for?
Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity.
What are Content Credentials?
The C2PA website says Content Credentials “function like a nutrition label for digital content, giving a peek at the content’s history”.
How does a file say it is AI-generated?
Through a declared digital source type. The IPTC term trainedAlgorithmicMedia, labelled “Created using Generative AI”, is defined as digital media created algorithmically using an Artificial Intelligence model trained on captured content. A signer can include it in the manifest.
Does a valid C2PA signature prove an image is authentic?
No. A claim signature is made with the private key of a signer. It shows the claim has not been altered since signing; it says nothing about whether the signer’s statements are true.

Sources

Page reviewed . Proofcan is a technical tool, not legal advice, and does not guarantee compliance.