How to remove AI metadata (C2PA) from an image
Images from AI generators and some editing apps and cameras can carry provenance metadata: C2PA “Content Credentials” manifests and XMP fields such as creator tool, editing history, and document IDs. These can reveal which software or account workflow produced a file. Here’s what they are and how to strip them locally.
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Strip GPS, camera, XMP and C2PA metadata in your browser + proof slip. Free: 1 scrub · $2.99 lifetime: batch, clean report.
Strip C2PA and XMP in your browser
- Open MetaGone. It runs in the browser; the image isn’t uploaded.
- Add the image. JPEG, PNG, or WebP.
- Check the AI / C2PA group. MetaGone flags XMP fields (CreatorTool, History, DocumentID, InstanceID) and C2PA/JUMBF markers found in the file bytes.
- Scrub and export. The image is re-drawn and re-encoded, so embedded metadata blocks — including C2PA/JUMBF and XMP — are not written to the new file.
- Save the proof slip. The report lists the fields found and removed, with file hashes.
What C2PA is
C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) is an open standard for attaching a signed provenance manifest to media — who or what created it and how it was edited. In JPEGs the manifest is typically stored in a JUMBF metadata box. It’s metadata, so re-encoding the pixels without copying that box removes it.
What stripping metadata can’t do
- Invisible watermarks embedded in the pixels (some AI providers use these) are not metadata and survive a metadata scrub.
- It doesn’t change what the image is. Removing provenance data does not make an AI image “not AI.” Platforms may still label or detect it, and some platforms’ rules require disclosure of AI-generated content — follow them.
- Good reasons to strip it include privacy (account IDs, file paths, software histories) and reducing file size.
Other methods
exiftool -all= image.jpgremoves EXIF/XMP and other metadata blocks it recognizes.- Screenshotting an image also drops embedded metadata but degrades quality.
MetaGone — try free, unlock lifetime for $2.99
Strip GPS, camera, XMP and C2PA metadata in your browser + proof slip. Free: 1 scrub · $2.99 lifetime: batch, clean report.
FAQ
Will this remove the “AI generated” label on social media?
Not necessarily. Platforms may use other signals, including invisible watermarks and their own classifiers. Follow platform disclosure rules.
Does MetaGone remove camera and GPS data too?
Yes — the same scrub drops EXIF (camera, GPS, dates) along with XMP and C2PA blocks.
Is it uploaded anywhere?
No, everything runs in your browser.
What does it cost?
One free scrub; $2.99 lifetime unlock for batch scrubbing and clean proof slips.
Sibling tools
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- Remove GPS from a photo online — without uploading it
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