It is metadata that can include what type of camera took the photo and precise location from GPS. I open photos in GIMP and then export them, taking care to uncheck the exif and a couple other metadata options.
Good catch. I’m satisfied with the test so I won’t be doing another one. Feel free to try one of your own photos which includes location data and report back to us with your findings.
From a quick test, that does seem to remove most data.
Instead of that, if you’re going to through that process for just a few files, the Details tab in the file properties has a link at the bottom to strip all that stuff.
Photo, share, choose Scrambled Exif, wait two seconds, share screen comes back, share with friend, and it sends the picture but not the privacy violations.
If you’re on Windows, right click an image, and go into the properties. There should be a Details tab where you’ll find a bunch of text fields that can be edited.
There’s also data that doesn’t even show in there. For example, your camera/phone could be set up to save its GPS coordinates in EXIF so that you can keep track of where the pictures were taken. Naturally, unless it’s stripped from the file, that data can be seen by anyone who has access to the file.
Most image editing software should be able to delete any EXIF data, but there is also software that can mass-edit all of that stuff to simplify the process.
One way is to take a screenshot of the photo. Or load and save in a different format. Or use image sharing sites that remove metadata (imgur used to be the standard one, not sure what’s good now)
What is EXIF data? Location and time stamp? How do you remove that from photos and videos?
exiftool
Or for a one-off, copy the image in one program and paste it into another. Then it’s just pixels.
Depends, some know how to handle the metadata. You could take a screenshot and send that though.
Is this security through obscurity?
Metadata contained within the image file.
Using the one from this post this is what I can see (exif data has been stripped or wasn’t there):
Here’s another example where the data is plain as day:
Exif data can contain everything from the make/model of device used to take a picture, to a gps location of where the picture was taken.
Removing that information depends on what you’re using to do it, but can be done with an exif editing tool in pretty much any OS I’m aware of.
Edit: Autocorrect is a pita.
I’m on android, is there software that you would suggest using?
I don’t know if there are apps that can’t be trusted or take your images or data.
Exif-eraser, open source and available on F-Droid, Google Play, etc.
It is metadata that can include what type of camera took the photo and precise location from GPS. I open photos in GIMP and then export them, taking care to uncheck the exif and a couple other metadata options.
For techies: would opening my photo in MS Paint and doing “save as png” remove exif data?
Maybe but I wouldn’t trust MS to do the job even if it appeared true. Use a reputable open source tool made for the job if you can
Results are in. According to jimpl.com, saving as PNG in MS Paint does remove some exif data.
I don’t know what’s possible to be stored as exif data so I can’t tell you if this is everything. But here’s my result.
Interesting. Location is the big one though, which your test image didn’t have.
Good catch. I’m satisfied with the test so I won’t be doing another one. Feel free to try one of your own photos which includes location data and report back to us with your findings.
Eh, too much trouble to reboot into windows :)
Cool in that case thanks for your contributions
I think it actually is a good attitude to not trust MS with your privacy but you can do as you wish
Tell you what. I’ll test it myself. Be right back.
From a quick test, that does seem to remove most data.
Instead of that, if you’re going to through that process for just a few files, the Details tab in the file properties has a link at the bottom to strip all that stuff.
Scrambled Exif on F-Droid to wipe it.
Photo, share, choose Scrambled Exif, wait two seconds, share screen comes back, share with friend, and it sends the picture but not the privacy violations.
If you’re on Windows, right click an image, and go into the properties. There should be a Details tab where you’ll find a bunch of text fields that can be edited.
There’s also data that doesn’t even show in there. For example, your camera/phone could be set up to save its GPS coordinates in EXIF so that you can keep track of where the pictures were taken. Naturally, unless it’s stripped from the file, that data can be seen by anyone who has access to the file.
Most image editing software should be able to delete any EXIF data, but there is also software that can mass-edit all of that stuff to simplify the process.
One way is to take a screenshot of the photo. Or load and save in a different format. Or use image sharing sites that remove metadata (imgur used to be the standard one, not sure what’s good now)