Everyday privacy · 21 June 2026

A checklist before you share a photo online

Photo privacy is not only about metadata. A deliberate share means looking at both the file and the image as a stranger would.

Start with a publishable copy

Keep the original in your archive and create a separate copy for publishing. Review EXIF, GPS, filename and caption. A precise location rarely helps when you are listing an item for sale.

Inspect the pixels too

Licence plates, addresses, documents, screens, reflections and people in the background may reveal more than a metadata tag. Cropping or blurring can matter more than deleting EXIF.

Choose the platform knowingly

Some services recompress photographs; others retain originals. Do not assume a social network or marketplace will clean your file—inspect the copy you plan to send.

Before publishing, take thirty seconds to ask what the photograph reveals to someone who does not know you.

Check metadata in the editor →