What are image metadata and why is their removal important for privacy?

Any digital photo or video file contains not only a visual image, but also a hidden block of service information known as metadata. The EXIF standard is saved by your smartphone or camera at the moment of shooting. This data includes exact geographical coordinates of the shooting location, date and time, device model, camera serial number, and even shutter speed and aperture parameters.

Publishing such photographs on social networks or forums creates serious risks for physical security and privacy. Attackers or stalkers can easily extract the coordinates of your home, work, or favorite vacation spots from an ordinary snapshot of a cat or a cup of coffee published on the internet. Even if social networks automatically delete part of the metadata upon upload, many third-party platforms and photo hosting sites store them in their original form.