YouTube against fakes: genuine videos will receive the “Caught on Camera” label

YouTube has a new label that indicates whether an uploaded video was actually filmed on camera without any editing of the footage or audio. You can see the “Caught on Camera” tag thanks to the digital authentication service for materials Trupic – he posted one of these videos on his channel.

Image source: youtube.com/@truepic-inc

YouTube determines the authenticity of uploaded videos using the C2PA tagging standard – videos created using recording devices and equipment that support metadata will be tagged. The presence of the tag “means that the creator has used some technology to verify the origin of his video and confirm that the audio and visuals have not been altered,” the reference section states.

For the label to appear, you must use tools that support C2PA 2.1 and higher, which means that it will not be added often at first. Camera makers, including Leica, began adding relevant metadata to videos last year, but it’s not yet clear what content is actually supported by YouTube’s authentication system. The goal of the initiative is to ensure transparency regarding materials generated by artificial intelligence on the platform, Google told The Verge. An edited video can also be authenticated, but three conditions must be met.

• The video must not be edited in a way that breaks the chain of origin or makes it impossible to trace the video back to its original source. For example, when shooting, the material may be tagged with metadata, but it will disappear when the video is added to the phone’s gallery if it does not support C2PA 2.1 or higher.
• The video must not undergo significant changes “in its essential nature or content,” including sounds and visuals.
• Any changes that violate compatibility with the C2PA standard version 2.1 and higher are not permitted.

Previously, the YouTube administration obliged platform users to independently label AI-generated realistic content.