Sony Expands Camera Authenticity Technology To Video Content

Sony is strengthening its commitment to authenticity in video production by extending its verification technology across a wider range of cameras.

The move marks a major step forward in providing news organisations with the industry's first camera authenticity solution for video, developed in line with the C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) standard – an initiative that sets open standards for verifying the origin and integrity of digital content.

At the same time, Sony has announced the next phase of its Camera Authenticity Solution, which now enables verification for video as well as still images. This paid service will initially be available to news organisations, offering a vital tool to confirm that footage has been captured by a real camera rather than generated by AI or other synthetic methods.

The system uses Sony's proprietary metadata, including 3D depth information recorded by the camera, to verify that video content represents genuine, real-world subjects. A built-in trim function also allows users to authenticate specific video segments while maintaining the integrity of the original authenticity signatures – streamlining the process for larger video files.

To use the signature function in cameras, a digital signature license and its installation on Sony-compatible cameras are required. Sony will provide digital signature licenses for video, which are required for using the camera's signature function. 

Furthermore, Sony's cloud-based collaboration platform, Ci Media Cloud, will now display C2PA-compliant digital signature information, enhancing content authenticity for news. 

After introducing the PXW-Z300, the world’s first authenticity-ready camera for video this summer, Sony’s Alpha 1 II, Alpha 9 III, Cinema Line FX3 and FX30 will from now on support the recording of C2PA compliant provenance information directly into video files. The interchangeable-lens cameras Alpha 7R V, Alpha 7 IV, Alpha 1 are scheduled to be supported from November 2025 or later, and the Alpha 7S III is scheduled to be supported from 2026 onwards. 

With these announcements, Sony aims to bolster the credibility of video content in news reporting, ensuring that audiences receive reliable information. As generative AI continues to evolve, concerns about the proliferation of manipulated and synthetic content have intensified, particularly for news organizations that rely on accurate information.

To help address this issue and as a member of the C2PA steering committee, Sony has been delivering its highly accurate Camera Authenticity Solution featuring C2PA standard compliance along with our proprietary digital signature technology and metadata utilization including 3D depth information from cameras for image tampering verification. In response to the increasing demand for video authenticity support, Sony has advanced its technology development through initiatives including conducting verification experiments to validate the authenticity of video content in collaboration with the Research & Development Department of the BBC.   

www.sony.net