Cloudflare is making it easier to track authentic images online

Cloudflare has launched a new feature to help people quickly verify the authenticity of online images. The web security and hosting provider has adopted the Adobe-led Content Credentials system, which applies a digital metadata tag to images and video that tracks who owns it, where it’s been posted, and if it’s been manipulated — including if generative AI tools were used to do so. Content Credentials is an ongoing project born out of the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), a cross-industry community co-founded by Adobe in 2019. Members include Microsoft, Arm, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Truepic, Getty, and Shutterstock, alongside camera companies like Canon and Leica, and major news outlets such as the BBC, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times. [Image: Here’s an example of how the image metadata will be presented on Cloudflare-hosted images. https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/Cloudflare-CC-example.jpg?quality=90&strip=all] Now, Cloudflare has also joined the CAI and introduced a new one-click settings option on content hosted by Cloudflare Images to “Preserve Content Credentials.” The feature is available starting today for all users across the entire global Cloudflare network. Anyone who views or downloads images with this setting enabled can verify their digital history via Adobe’s Content Authenticity web tool or its Chrome browser extension. The Content Credentials system is based on open-source technical standards developed by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). The idea is not only to make it easier for artists and photographers to retain attribution for their work, but also to help people confidently distinguish authentic images and videos from those that have been altered or generated using AI tools. The Cloudflare integration should provide a sizable boost for the CAI’s reach, given Cloudflare estimates that around 20 percent of the entire web runs through its network. “The future of the Internet depends on trust and authenticity,” said Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince. “By integrating Content Credentials across our global network, we can help media and news organizations to verify authenticity and maintain ownership of their work, wherever it moves online. This isn’t just about securing individual images — it’s about giving publishers the tools they need to preserve trust and remain relevant in the age of AI.”