A standard, though not entirely reliable, way to block web crawlers is the use of the robots.txt file. Adobe now aims to introduce a similar method for images, allowing content authors to prohibit the use of their work for training artificial intelligence models.
This solution is based on Content Credentials technology and follows the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) standard, designed to verify the authenticity of digital content. Adobe has launched a web application that allows creators to add Content Credentials to images, even if they weren’t edited using Adobe software. Through this app, users can label images to notify AI companies that these visuals should not be included in model training datasets.
The Adobe Content Authenticity App supports uploading up to 50 JPG or PNG files at once. Creators can attach ownership data, such as their names and social media links, to the image metadata. This includes Instagram and X profiles, although those platforms currently don’t offer direct integration. LinkedIn, however, is participating in Adobe’s pilot program by enabling verification of LinkedIn pages linked to content credentials.
Chrome Extension and Wider Adoption Plans
Adobe has also released a Chrome extension that helps identify images marked with Content Credentials. It detects this data even on platforms like Instagram, which do not currently support the standard. When metadata includes the relevant Content Credentials fields, users will see a small “CR” symbol on the image.
The app uses several metadata recording schemes to ensure the information remains intact after editing. Alongside the “do not train” option, Adobe hopes these tools can serve as a clear signal to AI developers. However, no agreements with major AI companies have been finalized yet. Negotiations with leading developers are underway, and we’ll keep you updated as more integrations become available.
Adobe plans to extend this marking system to audio and video files in the future, adds NIX Solutions. While the current rollout focuses on images, the broader aim is to offer content creators control over how their work is used across digital formats.