Did you know that data your phone could be storing metadata (data about data) in the photos you take and share?
This could include:
The location where the photo was taken
The date and time the photo was taken
Details about the your device, software version and more
When you share the photo with someone, or on social media, those details may be available for anyone to access!
Hackers could use the data stored in your phone maliciously to do things like:
Use geolocation to pinpoint your exact location.
Use your device's details to target specific individuals or use that information to access other devices or accounts linked to that number such as cloud storage services or other places your personal information may be stored.
Use the information about your software or hardware to exploit potential vulnerabilities.
How can you prevent bad actors from accessing your photos metadata?
Disable metadata on your phone. This is a setting most often found in your phone's camera settings.
Use an app or other program to remove metadata, commonly known as EXIF data from your images.
Be cautious about the photos you share and where you share them. Many social networks claim to remove metadata from photos before they're posted but it's unknown whether they retain that information for their own uses.
Share this short video to spread awareness of the metadata in your photos:
To keep your data safe check your phone and your social media platform's privacy settings, and be cautious when sharing pictures!
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