MetaScrub — local block-level inspection
- JPEG, PNG, WebP
- Recognized C2PA/JUMBF blocks
- Before/after summary
- Local processing in your browser
Digital provenance, explained
What are Content Credentials (C2PA)?
Cryptographically signed provenance records—not universal truth certificates or AI detectors.
Check an image for embedded credentialsJPEG, PNG, or WebP · Processed locally · Block-level detection
Asset
The image or media file.
Assertions
Statements about creation, editing, tools, or context.
Signed claim
Cryptographically signed by a trusted signer.
Content Credential
A tamper-evident provenance record.
A credential records statements about an asset’s history
Origin & capture
May record when, where, and how the asset was created.
Edit actions
May record adjustments, crops, filters, or other edits.
Tools & software
May record apps, plugins, or versions used.
Ingredients
May record sources or materials used to create the asset.
Signer context
May record who signed and under what role.
AI-related source types
May record AI tools, models, or generation methods.
Tamper-evident provenance is not absolute truth
Validation can establish
Structure
The manifest is well-formed.
Signature
The signature cryptographically matches the manifest.
Asset binding
The manifest is bound to this asset.
Alteration
If content or manifest was changed, it can be detected.
Validation cannot establish
Factual truth
It cannot verify the real-world events happened.
Non-AI status
It cannot prove the asset was not AI-generated.
Complete neutrality
It cannot guarantee no bias or intent.
Trust without context
It cannot know your trust relationships or policies.
Credentials can be embedded, remote, or durable
Embedded manifest
The manifest is stored inside JPEG or WebP metadata, such as a JUMBF/C2PA box.
Remote manifest
The asset points to a manifest hosted on a server or trusted repository.
Durable credential
A fingerprint or invisible watermark can help rediscover it later.
Choose the right kind of inspection
Different tools, different jobs
Full C2PA validator
- Signature validation
- Trust context (policies, keys)
- Assertion details
- Manifest history and lineage
Remove the embedded block without changing the image pixels
Add image
Choose a JPEG, PNG, or WebP file.
Review detected blocks
See which recognized blocks are present in your file.
Choose mode
Pick the mode that matches your goal.
Verify and download
Confirm what will be removed and save your clean copy.
Broad privacy removal
Removes recognized EXIF, GPS, XMP, IPTC, comments, and C2PA/JUMBF blocks while keeping ICC.
AI-provenance only
Removes recognized C2PA/JUMBF blocks and AI-tagged text while keeping EXIF, GPS, IPTC, and ICC.
Local browser processing · JPEG, PNG, and WebP
Removing provenance is a tradeoff
Privacy benefit (cleaned copy)
Reduced embedded workflow and signer metadata.
- Fewer embedded blocks
- Less workflow exposure
- Less signer metadata
- Better sharing control
Provenance cost (cleaned copy)
The embedded verification chain is broken for this copy.
- No embedded manifest
- Breaks verification chain
- Loses local tamper-evidence
- Limits future proof of origin
Questions about Content Credentials?
Are Content Credentials the same as EXIF?
No. EXIF typically stores camera and capture data. Content Credentials use a signed provenance manifest that can describe creation, edits, ingredients, and signer context.
Do they prove an image is real?
No. Validation can show that a manifest is well-formed, signed, and bound to an asset. It cannot prove that the depicted event happened or that every assertion is factually true.
Does every AI-generated image have them?
No. Support depends on the generating tool and export workflow. Some tools add C2PA manifests, some use other signals, and some add no durable provenance at all.
Can a non-AI photograph have them?
Yes. Cameras, newsrooms, editing tools, and publishing workflows can add Content Credentials to conventional photographs and other non-AI media.
Is C2PA an invisible watermark?
No. A C2PA manifest is structured provenance data. Durable fingerprints or invisible watermarks are separate mechanisms that may be used alongside a manifest.
Can MetaScrub validate a signature?
No. MetaScrub detects and removes recognized embedded C2PA/JUMBF blocks. Use a full C2PA validator when you need signature, trust-chain, or assertion validation.
Does removal erase remote provenance?
Not necessarily. Removing an embedded block does not guarantee deletion of manifests stored in remote repositories or provenance rediscovered through durable fingerprints.
Will removal change image quality?
No. MetaScrub removes supported metadata blocks without changing the image pixels, so the visual image and its encoded pixel quality stay unchanged.
Does AI-only mode keep GPS?
Yes. AI-provenance-only mode keeps EXIF, including GPS, while removing recognized C2PA/JUMBF and AI-tagged metadata. Use broad privacy removal when you also want GPS removed.
Reviewed against C2PA specification 2.4 · July 21, 2026
