You can’t prove a photo is “not AI” with one click, and AI image detectors aren’t reliable enough to settle it. What helps is showing the original and its context. Keep the RAW or untouched camera file, the frames shot just before and after, and the camera’s file numbering. EXIF data helps too, but it can be edited, so treat it as a clue rather than proof. If your camera or app supports Content Credentials, keep them intact. For future shoots, timestamp your RAW files with TimeBinder when you import them. Each timestamp shows that exact file existed no later than a recorded time. It doesn’t show who took the photo, or that the scene was real, but it pins the original down before anyone can question it.
Disclosure: I’m Inna Hall, co-founder of TimeBinder, the file timestamping tool mentioned in this guide. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Table of Contents
How to prove a photo is not AI when someone questions it
- Don’t edit or re-export the original. Copy it somewhere safe first.
- Find the RAW or untouched camera file, plus the frames around it.
- Check what the metadata claims with our free file date and metadata inspector.
- Gather context: where you were, who else was there, phone backups and other photos of the same scene.
- Share a contact sheet of the sequence and offer the original to the person who needs to check it.
The original file
A RAW or DNG file straight from the camera is much harder to fake than a JPEG, because it holds sensor data that editing apps and generators don’t usually produce. An untouched camera JPEG is the next best thing. EXIF data records the camera, lens, settings and a claimed capture time, but that time comes from the camera’s clock and EXIF can be edited. See proving a RAW photo existed before a date and date created vs date modified vs date taken.
The sequence
Real shoots leave a trail: frames before and after, bursts, slightly different angles and the camera’s continuous file numbering (for example IMG_4471 to IMG_4490). A run of neighbouring frames is very hard to fake in bulk, so keep the whole set, not just your pick. If you shoot for a news outlet, see how a newsroom can timestamp drafts and photos.
Context from outside the file
- Phone photos of the same place, or a photo of you at the location.
- Other people’s photos from the same event.
- Automatic phone or cloud backups that recorded when the files arrived.
- Messages where you mentioned the shoot.
Content Credentials
Some cameras and apps can sign Content Credentials (the C2PA standard), a record of capture and edits. If yours does, keep them intact by exporting with credentials on. They can be stripped by some platforms, and not everyone can read them yet, so treat them as one piece of the picture.
Timestamp RAWs at import
The simplest habit is to TimeBind your RAW files in TimeBinder as soon as you import them, before any edit. Your files are hashed on your own device (the app works out a unique fingerprint of each file) and never uploaded. Any later change to a file gives a different fingerprint, so the record covers the exact originals. For photo series, see timestamping a photo series before you publish it.
What each kind of evidence suggests
| Evidence | Independent of you? | Easy to change? | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXIF metadata | No | Yes, with free tools | Camera, settings, claimed date |
| RAW / untouched original | No | Hard to make convincingly | A camera capture |
| Neighbouring frames | No | Hard to fake in bulk | A real shooting session |
| Content Credentials (C2PA) | Partly (signed by a device or app) | Can be stripped | Claimed capture and edit history |
| Timestamp (TimeBind) of the RAW | Yes (Bitcoin record; ASAP TimeBinds can be checked independently, Pooled through TimeBinder) | Any change gives a different fingerprint | That exact file existed no later than the recorded time |
For insurers, landlords and disputes
Hand over the original files, not screenshots, plus the neighbouring frames and any TimeBinder certificates, and keep your own copies unchanged. Write a short note of when and where you took the photos. If the other side claims your photo is fake, see what to do when the other side says your evidence is a deepfake. How evidence is treated depends on where you are and who is deciding, so get advice if a lot is at stake.
Which plan fits
The Free plan is $0 and gives you 1 Token a month. A Pooled TimeBind costs 1 Token, covers up to 10 files and is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. An ASAP TimeBind costs 3 Tokens and gets its own Bitcoin transaction straight away. Checking a file is always free, and no credit card is needed for the Free plan.
If you TimeBind more often, Essential is US$20 a month for 5 Tokens ($4 per Token, against $5 pay-as-you-go) and Expert is US$50 a month for 15 Tokens (about $3.33 per Token). Paid plans replace the Free plan’s monthly Token, so Essential adds 4 Tokens for US$20 and Expert adds 14 for US$50. See pricing.
What a timestamp does and doesn’t do
TimeBinder anchors each file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain and gives you a Proof of Time Certificate. That is verifiable evidence of when a file existed: it shows the file existed no later than the anchor time, and any later change to the file is detectable. Your file is hashed in your browser and never uploaded. ASAP TimeBinds can be checked independently from the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain; Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder.
It doesn’t show who created the file, whether its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make it, and it can’t tell you how a court or anyone else will treat it. It also doesn’t cover versions you didn’t TimeBind. Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder; ASAP TimeBinds can also be verified independently from the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain. See also showing when your photos and videos existed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can EXIF data prove a photo is real?
No. EXIF is a helpful clue about the camera, settings and claimed date, but it can be edited with free tools, so treat it as a starting point.
Is a RAW file proof a photo isn’t AI?
It’s strong supporting evidence, not proof. A RAW file straight from the camera, with neighbouring frames from the same shoot, is hard to fake convincingly.
Do AI image detectors work?
They’re unreliable for this. They can flag real photos and miss generated ones, and different tools disagree, so don’t rely on them alone.
How does a timestamp help?
It shows that the exact RAW file existed no later than a recorded time, for example before an editing dispute or an insurance claim. It doesn’t show the scene was real or who took the photo.
What’s the best habit for photographers?
Timestamp your RAW files when you import them, before any edits, and keep the neighbouring frames and original card numbering.
How do I check what a photo’s metadata says?
Use our free file date and metadata inspector. It runs in your browser and shows the dates and camera details a file claims, without uploading it.
Plan details were checked against timebinder.io/pricing on 30 October 2026.
