C2PA is important, but it is not the end of proof

C2PA is a strong provenance layer and we support it. But in real distribution pipelines, metadata does not always survive.

Files are screenshotted, re-encoded, clipped, remuxed, and reposted through platforms that can drop or alter metadata fields. That makes metadata-only trust fragile for enforcement workflows.

This is why we treat C2PA as one layer, not the only layer. We pair it with an invisible UID-linked watermark signal in the media and internal decode logs tied to that UID.

When all layers survive, verification is straightforward. When manifests are stripped, UID + logs still provide a recoverable path for attribution and incident response.

For operators, the output should be practical: recovered UID (when possible), confidence, and evidence views that explain why the system believes proof is present.

The point is not to replace C2PA. The point is continuity. C2PA strengthens provenance, and media-native signals help keep verification alive after real-world transforms.