If you’ve ever been a victim of Photoshopped or AI-generated images in the past, you may be wondering this: How can we tell if an image we see online is authentic or fake?

Blockchain apps seem to have the solution. When images are uploaded to a blockchain platform, they receive a unique digital signature linked to metadata—such as time, date, location, and author. This information is recorded on a blockchain ledger, creating a permanent, unalterable record of the image’s history. Every edit or ownership transfer is added to this record, creating a clear chain of provenance that reinforces trust and authenticity.

For photojournalists, integrating blockchain helps protect images from unauthorized use, while media outlets can confirm an image’s origin and avoid sharing manipulated content. This technology also enhances security and transparency in licensing, giving photographers more control over how their images are used and distributed. Here are some of the ways the technology is already being used in photography and journalism today:

Click App: Blockchain-Verified Images in Journalism

Click App is one of the first tools to use blockchain-based image authentication, developed to combat misinformation by verifying image authenticity. With Click, users can trace an image’s history to determine whether it’s AI-generated and confirm it was captured at the claimed time and place. Journalists can capture photos and instantly embed a tamper-proof digital signature into each image, recording key details like time, date, and location. This ensures the photo’s authenticity is preserved from the moment it’s captured.

The app has proven valuable in real-world situations, such as documenting conflict scenes in war zones where verifiable information and content are crucial for truthful reporting. Freelancers and independent journalists can supply newsrooms with verifiable content to help media outlets ensure that their reporting is based on facts. This is especially important in conflict areas, where manipulated images can be weaponized to influence public opinion or spread confusion.

Beyond journalism, Click also proves valuable in fields like law enforcement, where it can capture crime scene photos with digital signatures that can’t be altered without detection. Content creators, influencers, and photographers can use Click to confirm their ownership of photos with embedded metadata allowing them to define usage and licensing terms directly within the image and protect their intellectual property rights.

Reuters and Canon: Pioneering End-to-End Image Authentication with Blockchain

Reuters, a global leader in news, has collaborated with Canon and Starling Lab to use blockchain technology to track an image’s journey from capture to publication. Canon’s blockchain-enabled cameras allow photojournalists to embed a unique digital signature containing metadata like time, GPS location, and device-specific keys directly into each image. Unlike standard metadata tagging, these signatures are cryptographically protected and nearly impossible to tamper with.

Cryptographic records of each photo are stored on multiple public blockchains like Filecoin and Bitcoin to prevent tampering. Any image edits are logged in a private database, creating a transparent record without compromising authenticity. Recently tested in Ukraine, this initiative aims to preserve trust in photojournalism amidst widespread misinformation in conflict zones. News outlets like Reuters can weed out deepfakes and ensure that their content is accurate. Also, letting viewers verify the images’ origins helps them restore their credibility at a time when AI-generated images and misinformation are rampant.

Blockchain’s Broader Applications in Photography

Another use for blockchain in photojournalism is for selling and licensing content. When a photographer wants to sell a photo as an NFT via a decentralized marketplace, smart contracts automatically manage the terms of each transaction, including pricing, licensing, intellectual property and usage rights, and record these on the blockchain. This record includes identifiers for the photographer, buyer, and image, with licensing terms that remain verifiable long after the sale. If the platform ceases operation, the blockchain’s smart contract can still serve as a reference.

These are just some examples of how blockchain can offer verified and tamper-resistant content. Freelance photographers, content creators, and even law enforcement professionals benefit from digital signatures that verify an image’s origin, capture date, and chain of custody.  In a digital age filled with AI-generated content and deepfakes, blockchain-backed tools help combat unauthorized use and manipulation in advertising, social media, and news and ultimately help restore the credibility of photojournalism.

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