This data is stored in a format named EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format).

Most images captured on a digital device will have some metadata stored with them. What is EXIF metadata and what are the risks? We also provide step-by-step instructions for removing metadata from images on a range of devices and explain how you can go about changing settings to ensure no location data is stored in the first place. In this post, we reveal more about the types of metadata associated with images and why you should remove this information. You may even be able to change the settings on your device such that limited metadata is stored by default.

It’s also a good idea to remove any potentially sensitive information from images that are stored in an unsecured location such as in an unencrypted cloud platform or on the device itself. Thankfully, it’s relatively straightforward to remove metadata from images before you make them public.

If you post that image online as is, snoopers have full access to that data, causing privacy issues for the owner and subjects of the image. Depending on the device, this could include location coordinates, date, time, device model and manufacturer, and settings used to take the image. When you take a picture, most digital devices will store at least some metadata (known as EXIF data) connected to that image.

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