What is C2PA? Definition and Why It Matters for AI Images
What is C2PA? C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) is a standard that embeds a tamper-evident “provenance” record into image files. It tells platforms and detectors where the image came from—including whether it was AI-generated—so they can label or filter it. Many creators remove it for privacy using tools like Purity Incognito.
What does C2PA do?
C2PA stores a manifest inside the file: origin, tools used, and whether content is AI-generated. Social networks and search engines use this to apply labels (e.g. “Made with AI”) or to prioritize content.
- Metadata only: It lives in the file’s metadata, not in the pixels.
- Widely supported: Used by Adobe, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and others.
- Detectable: Any system that reads the manifest can see the provenance.
C2PA vs SynthID
- C2PA = metadata header (who made it, with what).
- SynthID = Google’s pixel-level watermark inside the image.
Purity covers both: Incognito strips C2PA (and other metadata); the Watermark Remover removes SynthID from Gemini images.
How to remove C2PA
Use a tool that rewrites the file without the C2PA manifest. Purity Incognito does this in the browser: it keeps the pixels and strips C2PA, SynthID, and EXIF so your image has no provenance metadata.
Purity Team
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