If you post pictures here you might want to read this

reible · Post by **reible** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:29 am

Say you have an iPhone 5 or other GPS equipped phone or a camera with built in GPS and you have that turned on when taking pictures. If you simply shrink them to fit here on the forums the GPS information can still be in the picture.

For example if I were to post a picture of our latest grand daughter

[ATTACH]21960[/ATTACH]

And then if you examine the data you might find the GPS data presented as data as well as simple boxes to check that looks like this. (in this case that data has been removed already)

[ATTACH]21961[/ATTACH]

If you are setup to be able to use google earth you click that box and

[ATTACH]21962[/ATTACH]

Yep that is the hospital and room location where the picture was taken.

The program you use to do the size conversion might have the option of stripping that data when it is saved.

I have seen quite a few photos of late that contain data that lets anyone here view you photo location and then use that data if they chose for good or evil.

I'll not add the information on how to mine this data so those that don''t know how, sorry. If you do know it might be best to not share here.

OK you have been warned. BTW some of you have some really nice homes and huge out buildings/shops.

Ed

moggymatt · Post by **moggymatt** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:47 am

Great! Now I have to worry about the SSSA(ShopSmith Security Agency)along with the NSA, EPA, countles other government agencies and the worst of all the SWA!

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 11:58 am

How does one see this data?

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:05 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:How does one see this data?

To quote the Illinois Ed,

I'll not add the information on how to mine this data so those that don''t know how, sorry. If you do know it might be best to not share here.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 12:59 pm

So you believe ignorance is bliss?

The evil doer's know how to do this. It is those of us that never thought of doing something evil that have no idea how this information is found.

The problem is I find out about most of this stuff after the fact. Just once I would like to be pre-warned.

However thinking about it I would probably never have gotten on the internet if I had been pre-warned about all the information that could be found about a person on it.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:19 pm

If I can find it by googling Ed so can you.

Anybody want to guess who posted the pix taken at this location?

Pay Attention Parrot head.

:D

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[ATTACH]21966[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]21964[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]21965[/ATTACH]

Extracted from a file stored on my laptop gleaned from a post.

Be thanking Reible for calling this to our attention.

Only those with gps enabled photo taking devices need be concerned.

Thanks from me Ed!

I only posted these pix since the gps location is obviously not inside a forum member's shop. Either his DROID X2 is not calibrated, or he altered the data.

frank81 · Post by **frank81** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 1:23 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:So you believe ignorance is bliss?

The evil doer's know how to do this. It is those of us that never thought of doing something evil that have no idea how this information is found.

The problem is I find out about most of this stuff after the fact. Just once I would like to be pre-warned.

However thinking about it I would probably never have gotten on the internet if I had been pre-warned about all the information that could be found about a person on it.

Unwanted meta-data on your files has been around for at least 15 years. It's just that the technology to read and use it is accessible to the mainstream now.

It's not just gps locations on picture files. One of the earliest problems caused by metadata, and the reason we have metadata scrubbers now, is being able to see edited or deleted versions of a document. The example cited back when I had to become educated on this was lawsuit settlements sent to the other party in a court case. They had the ability to see your rough draft, and in some cases that info was enough to have more negotiating leverage or turn the case.

If you're concerned, there are utlities out there that will strip all the metadata out of your files. I recommend CNet instead of google so you don't download a nefarious program.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 2:11 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:So you believe ignorance is bliss?

The evil doer's know how to do this. It is those of us that never thought of doing something evil that have no idea how this information is found.

The problem is I find out about most of this stuff after the fact. Just once I would like to be pre-warned.

However thinking about it I would probably never have gotten on the internet if I had been pre-warned about all the information that could be found about a person on it.

No Ed I do not believe ignorance is bliss, but do not believe in broadcasting potentially damaging information by assuming the evil quotient of possible recipients.

FWIW you are no longer 'ignorant'. You are now aware 'it' exists and can take protective measures as you see fit.

I have determined my camera is location ignorant.

That be a blissfull discovery for me!:D

Also that 'personal info on you' was/is/will be there regardless of whether you are.

:D

dgale · Post by **dgale** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 1:59 am

Alright, I've been educated and now have downloaded an App called ImageOptim that strips all the "EXIF" Metadata from photos if I so desire before posting or sharing them. Tis a pretty strange world we live in where you can share a photo and people can, with a few mouse clicks, be staring at photos of your house etc. Not that I really care if anyone here sees pictures of my house but it's good to know these things in general and be aware of exactly what you are sharing. I don't do Facebook and the like but my wife does all the time and was rather alarmed to think that people could view pictures of our kids and promptly know where they live. Of course what's not shown in the Metadata or in the Google Maps photos is our livestock guard dog that will eat unfamiliar creatures (both two legged and four legged) for dinner if they choose to wander around our property

fredsheldon · Post by **fredsheldon** » Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:55 am

[quote="JPG40504"]If I can find it by googling Ed so can you.]

Wow, I didn't know that. Not sure exactly where that spot is but it's within 2 miles of my house.