Just a random thought for the morning.
Watermarks used to be the way to go, to stop people from just taking your images and using them however they want. They’re also used to send sample images and then ask for payment.
With AI advancing, it’s very likely going to get easier for the layperson to click a button and have AI remove your watermark.
How do you plan to safeguard against this?
That’s another reason to shoot in RAW, because that’s practically your digital negative and your best proof that you shot the original photo. Firstly I’d not use the full resolution JPG image to post anywhere, so resize it to 50%. Then use the lowest JPG quality that still delivers an acceptable image. You can use an app that allows you to move a slider and visually see the effect.
You can go even further by embedding all your copyright info hidden into the photo’s digital matrix by using stenography, which will help prove ownership. There are apps that can do this. “Digital watermarking: Using it to create invisible watermarks that do not distort the image, while being able to track if it has been used without authorization”
https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-steganography
The thing about raw is mostly pointless. You’d have to sue the offender for that to matter. Most people don’t have the time or money for lawsuits