Sony today announced the completion of the second round of testing of Sony’s in-camera authenticity technology with the Associated Press. This “in-camera” digital signature allows you to create a certificate of authenticity for images, validating the origin of the content and highlighting those that have been falsified.
Against fake images, here is in-camera technology
Sony’s authenticity technology provides a firma digitale ”machine-based”, eliminating the possibility of undetected manipulations from the start. The digital signature is placed inside the camera in the hardware chipset at the time of capture. This security feature is aimed at professionals who want to safeguard the authenticity of their content and provides an additional layer of security to help news agencies in the fight against counterfeit images.
Falsified images: the discourse on artificial intelligence
“While the rapid evolution of generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) offers new possibilities for creative expression, it has led to growing concern about the impact of altered or manipulated images in journalism,” he said Yann Salmon Legagneur, Marketing Director, Imaging and Product Solutions, Sony Europe.
“The spread of false information and images has a real social impact that harms not only our photojournalist and news agency partners, but society as a whole. We care about this challenge and are committed to using our resources to help solve it.
Through Sony’s work on the C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) steering committee, we have helped define the current industry standard for traceability of image editing and manipulation. Additionally, our in-camera authenticity technology has delivered strong results and we will continue to push its development towards wider release.”
Sony and Associated Press: a new technology against fake images
Misinformation caused by falsified images
“False and manipulated images are a major concern for news organizations. They not only contribute to misinformation but ultimately erode public trust in real, accurate images,” he said David Ake, AP Director of Photography. “We are proud to partner with Sony Electronics to create an authentication solution that can help combat this issue.”
The Sony test
The last one Sony and AP field tests was completed in October 2023. Both the capture authentication and workflow process were evaluated in this month-long test. To this end, Sony has partnered with Camera Bits, the company behind the industry-standard workflow tool, Photo Mechanic. Together with Sony and AP, Camera Bits has created a technology in Photo Mechanic which preserves the camera’s digital signature throughout the metadata editing process.
The update released by Sony
Sony’s new in-camera signature and C2PA authentication will be released with a dedicated firmware update Alpha 9 III, Alpha 1 e Alpha 7S III scheduled for spring 2024.