Processed observation output used to inherit trust from the platform that captured it. That is no longer enough.
Once imaging products began to pass through more edge processing, more derivative packaging, and more mixed custody paths, buyers lost the ability to treat every processed artifact as equally reliable. Provenance scores emerged as a compressed answer to that problem. They summarize how cleanly the output moved through the chain of capture, transformation, and retention.
The score does not eliminate the need for detailed audits. It gives customers a fast way to separate routine trusted output from material that deserves closer handling review. In a market where processed imagery is often more commercially valuable than the raw capture, that distinction matters a great deal.