Terms of Use
1. Scope and provider
These Terms of Use apply to use of the service “Provenance Lens” available at provenancelens.com. The provider is ZIGetik Medien und Vertrieb, Sven A. Kachelmann (Inh.); full details are provided in the Imprint.
Provenance Lens is an independent project and is not affiliated with Anthropic, Adobe, Google or other providers whose signals the service inspects.
2. What the service does — and where the data remains
Provenance Lens checks files for technically verifiable provenance signals: C2PA manifests (Content Credentials), embedded metadata and character-level anomalies.
The check takes place entirely in your browser. The file you select is not transferred to the provider, processed on the provider's servers or stored. The provider receives neither the file nor its content nor its name. You can verify this yourself in your browser's developer tools.
It follows that the provider cannot inspect uploaded content or disclose, delete, block or check it for legal violations — because the provider never receives it. No storage from which such claims could arise takes place.
The provider reserves the right to offer additional server-side inspection functions in the future. These will be expressly identified and require your separate consent; without that consent, no file leaves your computer.
3. What a report says — and what it does not say
The report describes only which technical signals were checked and what was found.
Absence of a provenance signal does not prove human authorship. Signals are lost through editing, re-encoding, screenshots or uploading to many platforms. A “not found” result means only that the checked signals were absent.
A valid signature establishes who signed a manifest — not that its statements are correct. Metadata can be changed without difficulty.
The report is not an expert opinion, expert certificate or item of evidence. It is generated on your device and is neither confirmed nor traceable by the provider. It is not intended as a basis for decisions about people — including examination, application, employment or disciplinary procedures. Anyone who nevertheless uses it in this way does so at their own responsibility.
4. Permitted use
You may use the service for your own checks, privately or commercially. The local open-source scanner is made available under its respective licence and may be used freely.
You represent that you hold the rights required for the files you inspect or are authorised to inspect them.
5. Prohibited use
The following in particular is prohibited:
- using the service for unlawful purposes or to process content whose possession or distribution is unlawful;
- attempting to circumvent security measures, overload the service or impair its availability;
- automated access beyond ordinary use unless expressly permitted;
- presenting inspection results as statements by the provider or as official, expert or certified findings;
- using results to make a false claim that a particular person did or did not create content.
Because inspection takes place locally in your browser, the provider cannot control content. You remain fully responsible for the files you inspect.
6. Availability
The service is provided free of charge and without entitlement to availability. The provider may change, restrict or discontinue operation at any time. Maintenance, faults and further development may cause interruptions.
The provider may prohibit use if these Terms are breached.
7. Warranty and liability
The service is provided without warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of results. The underlying standards, libraries and provider statements change; inspection results may be incomplete or outdated.
The operators of linked external sites are responsible for their content.
8. Open-source components
The scanner's source code is publicly available under the licence stated in the repository. These Terms apply to the hosted service; use of the source code is governed exclusively by the respective licence.
9. Changes
The provider may amend these Terms, in particular when the scope of functionality changes. The current version is available on this page and bears a date. Material changes — particularly any introduction of server-side processing — will be identified on the page and in the changelog.
10. Language versions
These Terms are available in German and English. The German version is authoritative. The English version is provided for understanding; in case of divergence, the German wording applies.
11. Applicable law
The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies. Mandatory consumer-protection provisions of the state in which the user has their habitual residence remain unaffected.
Version: 12 August 2026