Forensics Blog

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Insights on image forensics, ELA analysis, metadata, deepfakes, and digital authenticity.

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July 15, 2026

SynthID Image Watermarks Explained: What They Catch and What They Miss

Google has hidden an invisible marker inside more than 100 billion AI-generated images and videos, and since May 2026 it rides inside pictures from ChatGPT as well. This guide explains how the SynthID image watermark works, how to check any picture for it in under a minute, and the one result almost everyone reads backwards.

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July 14, 2026

How to Read Image Metadata: EXIF, C2PA, and What They Actually Prove

Every photo carries two hidden layers: the EXIF data your camera writes automatically, and the C2PA Content Credentials that can be cryptographically verified. This guide shows you how to read both in about ten minutes with free tools on any device, and what each layer really proves. It also covers the part most guides skip: what to do when the metadata is missing, faked, or quietly contradicting itself.

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July 13, 2026

Screenshot vs Original Image: Why Screenshots Defeat Forensic Tools

We took an AI-generated photo of a burning helicopter and ran it through our detector: flagged as computer generated, 80% confidence. Then we screenshotted the same image, uploaded that instead, and the tool found nothing at all. Here is what a screenshot does to a file, and why it quietly breaks almost every forensic test you can run.

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July 11, 2026

How to Detect Deepfake Images When Only 0.1% of People Can Spot Them

Deepfake images went from a party trick to roughly 8 million fakes circulating online, and only a sliver of people can reliably spot one by eye. This guide breaks down exactly how these images get built, the visual tells that still work, and how detection software catches what humans miss.

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July 10, 2026

Image Forensics Techniques: How to Tell if a Photo Has Been Faked (Without a PhD)

Fake photos are everywhere, but you don't need a forensics lab to catch most of them. This guide walks through the core image forensics techniques and the free tools that put them in your browser, from error level analysis and metadata checks to spotting AI-generated images. You'll learn what each method actually reveals, and where it falls short.

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