The Information You Give Away When Sending A Photo

What Information Are You Really Giving Away When You Send A Photo?

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Every time you take a photo using your smartphone, a ton of metadata is collected such as the time and location the picture was taken, formatting, and much more.

If you end up posting these photos on social media, the metadata is usually hidden, however, if you're sending these photos over an email or text, the person on the other end may be able to access it. This could potentially be dangerous especially if you're sharing photos with strangers.

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One example is if you're selling things online, you might be taking photos of your items and sending them to the buyer so they can get a better idea of what their buying, however, by sharing these photos, you may be giving them more information than initially intended.

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In the worst case scenario, the person on the other end could use the data from the photo you sent them to track down your location, putting you at risk of danger.

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How Do Ensure I'm Not Sharing Metadata When Sending Photos?

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One way you can remove the metadata on your photos before sending them out is to simply screenshot the original photo and then sending that screenshot to whomever. The screenshot of the original photo will not carry over any of the metadata from the original photo and this will add that extra layer of security for you.

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Make sure to share this important and useful tip with your friends and family to ensure they're not putting themselves at risk when sending photos out. By partaking in safe cybersecurity practices, we are significantly reducing our risks of online, or in this case, potential real-life attacks.

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Education is key to safety, that's why we provide education around cybersecurity practices alongside our amazing top-tier security services. Find out more Here!