Digital watermarking and blockchain as methods of protecting the authenticity of photos and video content in the fight against deepfake technology

Hadžib Salkić

Bošnjak

Keywords: deepfake, digital watermarking, blockchain, authentication, digital forensics


Abstract

The modern development of generative technologies, especially deepfake algorithms based on artificial intelligence, poses a serious challenge to the authenticity of digital photos and video content. Traditional protection and verification methods are often insufficient to detect sophisticated manipulations, which requires the introduction of advanced security mechanisms. This paper explores the application of digital watermarking and blockchain technology as complementary methods for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of multimedia content. The methodological approach of the paper is based on the analysis of existing digital watermarking techniques, including visible and invisible watermarks, as well as on the application of blockchain technology to create a decentralized and immutable registry of digital records. Special focus is placed on the integration of these technologies into a single security model that enables tracking the origin of content, verifying authenticity and detecting manipulations. The research results show that the combination of watermarking and blockchain significantly increases the reliability of the protection system, enabling transparency, immutability and cryptographic security of data. It is concluded that such an integrated approach represents an effective solution for combating deepfake content and protecting digital identity in the modern information space.


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