{"id":77400,"date":"2025-12-15T17:32:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T17:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/?p=77400"},"modified":"2025-12-15T17:37:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T17:37:03","slug":"cc-signals-what-weve-been-working-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/2025\/12\/15\/cc-signals-what-weve-been-working-on\/","title":{"rendered":"CC Signals: What We’ve Been Working On"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we look back on 2025, it\u2019s clear that the internet as we know it is changing. Technology-enabled access to knowledge <\/span>should<\/span><\/i> be flourishing. Instead, information is being removed from the web or locked away in walled gardens. We are experiencing a crisis in the commons, driven in part by current AI development practices. New systems are emerging in response\u2014from content monetization schemes and licensing agreements designed to protect large rightsholders, to the ongoing morass of lawsuits about how AI services are using content as data. We are in the midst of a major reconfiguration of how we share and reuse content on the web.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Bird's
“Distorted Forest Path<\/a>” by Lone Thomasky & Bits&B\u00e4ume, CC BY 4.0<\/a>, remixed by Creative Commons, CC BY 4.0<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CC Signals: A Refresher<\/b><\/h2>\n

It is within this environment that we continue to develop CC signals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We introduced the CC signals concept <\/span>last June<\/span><\/a> during a <\/span>live webinar<\/span><\/a>, and further explored the motivation behind this work in our report<\/span>\u00a0From Human Content to Machine Data<\/span><\/i><\/a>. We also shared <\/span>the outcomes<\/span><\/a> of our open feedback period following the CC signals kickoff. Since then, we\u2019ve been experimenting in partnership with values-aligned stakeholders and developing pilot projects to test ideas raised by the community.<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of CC signals is to help creators and custodians of collections express how they want their content or data to be used in AI development in ways that uphold reciprocity, recognition, and sustainability. Today\u2019s AI systems depend on vast amounts of human-created content, often collected without the awareness or involvement of those who made it. This has concentrated power and undermined trust in the social contract of the commons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

CC signals responds by promoting community agency while preserving Creative Commons\u2019 core commitment to access and openness. Ultimately, through CC signals and other interventions that infuse concepts of reciprocity in standards and practices, we envision an open internet where participation is equitable, creators are respected, and innovation advances the commons\u2014not unchecked extraction.<\/span><\/p>\n

CC Signals: Where Are We Now?<\/b><\/h2>\n

CC signals is an evolving, values-driven framework\u2014currently being tested through a series of pilot efforts. Our strategy is to explore modular approaches across legal, technical, and normative dimensions to encourage responsible AI development practices. This allows CC signals to adapt as norms, technologies, and standards continue to evolve.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At present, two key implementations are underway:<\/span><\/p>\n