Fujifilm is joining the Content Authenticity Initiative, following Canon, Nikon, Leica, and Sony. It will add C2PA functionality to its X and GFX cameras. Fujifilm notes in the press release for the GFX 100S II that it is joining the Content Authenticity Initiative to bring verification to its interchangeable lens cameras.

“In recent years, it has become an important global objective to work to rebuild trust online by proving the authenticity of photographs, videos and other online content. To further this effort and enable creative and business activities to continue to flourish, Fujifilm has joined two organizations, the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) and the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI),” the company says.

“Fujifilm is collaborating with these organizations in their efforts to ensure that the originator of digital content can be verified online through Content Credentials. Through its association with C2PA and CAI, Fujifilm will assist efforts to develop a system to provide context and history of digital content by providing valuable information, such as the origin and record of content, to the digital file. Fujifilm is committed to ultimately applying this verification solution to its GFX and X series line-up.”

Adobe founded the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), which is an open, technical standards body aimed at addressing the prevalence of misleading information online by developing open technical standards for certifying the source and history (also known as provenance) of digital content, specifically photos. It recently increased its reach to include recognizing AI-generated content. The CAI is a global network of media and technology firms, including camera manufacturers, dedicated to promoting the use of Content Credentials, an open industry standard.

Fujifilm said support will be provided via firmware upgrades as needed. Furthermore, the deployment date has yet to be defined.

Fujifilm is following Sony’s technique of updating existing cameras with the appropriate software, rather than Leica’s strategy of releasing standalone cameras that support Content Credentials via hardware.

According to the CAI, both procedures are effective, and there is no clear advantage or disadvantage to either. However, the firmware technique enables companies to update older cameras, but the hardware option appears to offer a faster in-market availability. To far, only few cameras have working C2PA capability, although practically all camera manufacturers have agreed to include it in the future.