01

A three-step privacy check

First confirm whether precise coordinates are present. Second, create a new file with GPS and related identifying fields removed. Third, analyze the output as a separate file.

Key points
  • Keep the original offline
  • Use a descriptive -clean filename
  • Verify latitude, longitude and altitude are absent
  • Check XMP location fields as well as EXIF GPS
02

Metadata is only one layer

Street signs, faces, reflections, landmarks and the file name can reveal information independently of EXIF. Metadata cleaning reduces one risk; it is not a complete anonymity tool.

What this does not prove

A metadata result describes the fields and structures that the supported parser could read. It does not, by itself, prove authenticity, intent, authorship or the truth of the visible scene.

Sources