Metadata Removal
Exif/ Metadata is "data about data", this additional information attached to files can lead us to share significantly more information than we intended to.
For example, if you upload an image of a sunset to the internet, but don't remove the metadata, it may reveal the location (GPS lat + long) of where it was taken, the device is was taken on, precise camera data, details about modifications and the picture source + author. Social networks that remove metadata from your photos, often collect and store it, for their own use. This could obviously pose a security risk, and that is why it is recommended to strip out this data from a file before sharing.
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Cross-platform, open source, performant EXIF meta data removal tool. This GUI tool makes cleaning media files really easy, and has great batch process support. Created by @szTheory, and uses ExifTool.
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Platform-independent open source Perl library & CLI app, for reading, writing and editing meta data. Built by Phill Harvey. Very good performance, and supports all common metadata formats. An official GUI application is available for Windows, implemented by Bogdan Hrastnik.
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Native MacOS app, with drag 'n drop image optimization and meta data removal.
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It's possible (but slower) to do this without a third-party tool.
For Windows, right click on a file, and go to: Properties --> Details --> Remove Properties --> Remove from this File --> Select All --> OK.
Alternatively, with ImageMagic installed, just run
convert -strip path/to/image.png to remove all metadata.
If you have GIMP installed, then just go to File --> Export As --> Export --> Advanced Options --> Uncheck the "Save EXIF data" option.
Often you need to perform meta data removal programmatically, as part of a script or automation process.
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