Recent technology reports warn of an unnoticed security risk that may threaten users’ privacy when sharing daily photos. Simple photos sent via messaging applications or social media platforms can leak data about the precise geographical location of the home without their owner’s knowledge.
These risks are due to what is known as “metadata” that is automatically stored within digital image files when taken by smartphones. This data includes latitude and longitude coordinates, the type of device, and the time the image was taken, allowing any party receiving the original to extract the geographic location with extreme accuracy through simple analysis programs.
Cybersecurity experts recommend that you turn off the “geographic location” feature of the camera from the phone settings, or disable location sharing when sending media through various applications, in addition to clearing metadata to protect privacy and prevent tracking of residential locations.
