Are your posted pictures giving more information than you want to share?

[JAB]

There is a recent thread about hiding serial numbers when posting pics of firearms. Some don't see the sense in it while others (like me) figure, "Why not?" Well, I saw a post in another forum, today, that enlightened me to the fact that simply by posting the pic - or any pic - in the first place folks could be sharing information that is even more personal than a firearm's serial number.

Worth a read, anyway:

GPS Tracking Data in Photos Can Reveal Where You Live | GPS Fleet Tracking / GPS Fleet Tracking System / Green Fleet Management

[Guest mustangdave]

and of course...I am not surprised...

[Bubbatn]

Wow, Thats something to think about...

[vontar]

I found out a long time ago that when I look pictures and uploaded to some websites they could read the data and tell what kind of camera I was using. I know my Droid (Android) has that option. I turned it off.

[Guest Letereat!]

Holy poopshoots!! Very good article. Not suprised.

[Chief07]

Learned something new.

Now I'm scared.

[Oh Shoot]

Dunno about .mov files, but JPEG, which often needs to be re-sized anyway, if you use the "save for web" feature in various softwares, nukes any extra file info.

Or program you use may have option to not include them when you save. Some cams may have that option also, although mine doesn't.

The two fields that JPEG allows are in the EXIF info, which the cam puts there automatically, and the IPTC info, which is generally entered manually within an editor.

If you want to see these fields in JPEGs that still have them, you can use something like the free and excellent IrfanView.

I assume this GPS info is just another field in the EXIF? If not, I can't imagine where else it is.

- OS

[Guest 73challenger]

I thought of this before as well. A few months ago I searched for iphone on a couple different firearms fourm's. I found several images of guns for sale that had the GPS data still in the exif.

[Guest Letereat!]

I carry a Casio G'z one. Indestructable, I routinely drop it in my Beer and drink a few gulps and pull it out, shake it off and make a call. Its a good conversation starter.

At any rate I checked my pic properties and saw only size and file type. How can I be certain my pics do not have GPS tags?? And what the heck is the EXIF OS??

[-boatman-]

Is it safe to assume that a digital camera does not do this and that it is only cell phones with GPS? I use a regular cell phone and don't use the camera so I think I'm OK but I need to tell my wife and sons about this.

And does this site remove the GPS tags on pics?

[Farman]

Only post pics you don't care who sees and keep rotating your stock.

[fullmetaljoe]

There's a couple of really easy ways to make sure you don't have any metadata attached to you pictures. One is to run them through this metadata removal program. Another is to open the file in Paint and save it out with a new filename. If you use the same filename, the metadata will sometimes stick to the new file, but it won't if you give it a new filename.

[Oh Shoot]

I carry a Casio G'z one. Indestructable, I routinely drop it in my Beer and drink a few gulps and pull it out, shake it off and make a call. Its a good conversation starter.

At any rate I checked my pic properties and saw only size and file type. How can I be certain my pics do not have GPS tags?? And what the heck is the EXIF OS??

Exchangeable image file format - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many image editors can see it by simply viewing image info. Everything from Photoshop down to freebies like IrfanView (a frigging GREAT app, btw).

Here's typical data in a JPEG image straight out of my (damn near antique) digicam:

---------------------------------------------

Make - EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY

Model - KODAK P850 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA

Orientation - Top left

XResolution - 230

YResolution - 230

ResolutionUnit - Inch

Software -

YCbCrPositioning - Centered

ExifOffset - 228

ExposureTime - 1/20 seconds

FNumber - 2.80

ExposureProgram - Normal program

ISOSpeedRatings - 100

ExifVersion - 0221

DateTimeOriginal - 2008:07:19 23:30:08

DateTimeDigitized - 2008:07:19 23:30:08

ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr

ShutterSpeedValue - 1/20 seconds

ApertureValue - F 2.83

ExposureBiasValue - 1.00

MaxApertureValue - F 2.64

MeteringMode - Center weighted average

LightSource - Auto

Flash - Flash not fired, compulsory flash mode

FocalLength - 6.00 mm

FlashPixVersion - 0100

ColorSpace - sRGB

ExifImageWidth - 2592

ExifImageHeight - 1944

InteroperabilityOffset - 896

ExposureIndex - 100

SensingMethod - One-chip color area sensor

FileSource - DSC - Digital still camera

SceneType - A directly photographed image

CustomRendered - Normal process

ExposureMode - Auto

White Balance - Auto

DigitalZoomRatio - 0.00 x

FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 36 mm

SceneCaptureType - Standard

GainControl - Low gain up

Contrast - Soft

Saturation - Normal

Sharpness - Normal

SubjectDistanceRange - Unknown

Maker Note (Vendor): -

Thumbnail: -

Compression - 6 (JPG)

Orientation - Top left

XResolution - 72

YResolution - 72

ResolutionUnit - Inch

JpegIFOffset - 8180

JpegIFByteCount - 5974

-------------------------

All of this can be zapped out by a "save for web" type resave in apps that optimize for web use, or with option to strip EXIF data on save, whatever.

- OS

[Oh Shoot]

...

And does this site remove the GPS tags on pics?

Except for avatars, TGO only links to pix files. It doesn't store them or manipulate them. It can't, because they are not on TGO server.

- OS

[Handsome Rob]

On the bright side, at least somebody knows where the hell I am!

Seriously though, why on earth would you think that anyone would be looking for you in the first place?

[tnhawk]

With the inability of the FAA to track the registration of aircraft, I not very concerned with them watching my every move.

[strickj]

I use an Exif reader for web photos. It's nice to see owner info and settings used for pics while you're browsing.

For what it's worth, most image hosts will destroy a picture's exif. Don't think I've ever seen exif pop-up on pics hosted on Photobucket and the other big named sites.

Or if you're still worried about it, download "Exifer". With it you can alter exif info or even wipe it clean altogether.