LONDON: YouTube is rolling out new labels to indicate whether uploaded videos come from genuine cameras with unaltered audio and visuals. The “captured with a camera” label was showcased by digital content authentication service Trupic, which recently uploaded a video that triggered the label in its description panel.
Trupic claims to have produced the first authentic video with C2PA Content Credentials on YouTube. While companies like Leica began integrating content credentials into their hardware last year, it’s still unclear whether these will activate YouTube’s new labels.
YouTube is employing the C2PA standard to verify video authenticity, meaning this feature will only be applicable to devices that support the necessary metadata. According to YouTube’s help page, the label signifies that creators have used specific technology to confirm their video’s origin while ensuring the audio and visuals remain unchanged.
To display the label, creators must utilize tools with C2PA version 2.1 or higher, which may limit its availability for some time. In a blog post last month, Laurie Richardson, Google’s vice president of trust and safety, mentioned that the company is exploring methods to convey C2PA information to viewers, particularly regarding content captured with a camera.
In response to a query from The Verge, Google spokesperson Elena Hernandez referenced Richardson’s blog. While videos do not need to be completely unedited to qualify for the label, they must adhere to certain criteria, including maintaining a clear chain of provenance, meaning they should avoid edits that obscure the video’s original source.
Moreover, significant alterations to essential content, including audio and visuals, must be avoided, and all edits must comply with C2PA standards (version 2.1 or higher).
Earlier this year, Google also introduced an “altered or synthetic content” label, relying on YouTube users to self-identify uploads that contain AI-generated material.
