Careful when uploading pictures of your car from your phone

[AliveBoy]

Not trying to scare monger like the legend who was WhackyWill, and some of you may already know this, so apologies if you do. I saw this on a motorbike forum, I'd say it's still pretty important for us though.

 

If you're using your smart phone to take a picture of your car, garage, motorbike etc. please be aware that if you've got gps active it stores your position in the file metadata.

 

As in; the EXACT location the picture was taken. You can download a picture from the internet, view the co-ordinates and use google maps to find the house where the picture was taken. It's a really simple way for some nefarious soul to find out where you keep your expensive toys.

 

It seems that Photobucket automatically removes the GPS data for you, but not all sites do. I found one of my motorbike pictures had a tag literally on top of my garage

 

Below is how to turn off the GPS picture tag on various devices.

IOS:

 

 

1. Open Settings app.

2. Privacy

3. Location Services

4. On the next page you will see the apps that use your device’s GPS to mark your location and store information about it in one way or the other.

5. find camera and turn its toggle off or never; whichever is available

 

 

 

Windows:

 

 

Right click on the picture > Properties > Details and at the bottom is a link "Remove Properties and Personal Information"

In the new window select "Remove the following properties from this file:"

Scroll down to the GPS section and select the info to be deleted.

 

 

 

Android:

 

 

Either

1. Open camera app

2. Press the 3 lines in the left hand corner

3. Press the cog symbol for settings

4. Turn off "save location"

 

or

 

1. Open Camera app

2. Bottom left hand corner, select the cog (settings) button

3. Top of the list is GPS Location info - select "Off"

 

 

[ioneabee]

whackywill was more of a ............ this is how my car/bike/boat/skip etc was stolen

[Aashenfox]

Well done for reiterating this. I haven't disabled this on my new phone, forgot all about it. Top reminder, thanks!

[Randy_Baton]

Good point, but I think most large upload sites strip out the data (excluding Facebook obviously). I've just switched from Photobucket to imgur and hadn't checked, but can confirm imgur also strip out the data

 

Its called exif data rather than meta data, it stores a lot more than just the GPS. If your getting into photography its really useful info.

 

[Ekona]

*grabs tinfoil hat*

[Flex]

Is the same true for more intimate pictures?

[Jay84]

Is the same true for more intimate pictures?

Hard to tell, I've uploaded pictures of my wife and no one has come to steal her yet

[AliveBoy]

Is the same true for more intimate pictures?

 

I don't think coordinates go that small do they?

 

edit: Typo

Edited May 10, 2017 by AliveBoy

[Stutopia]

Never thought about this before, except for Facebook tagging. I just checked a sample of mine on photobucket and imgur, nothing there. I did upload a new image to them both from my iPhone, with location services enabled. When I re-downloaded them and checked there was no location data in the EXIF, which was a relief and not to say people should be complacent!

 

Top safety tip

[Flex]

Is the same true for more intimate pictures?

 

I don't think coordinates go that small do they?

 

edit: Typo

 

Got to say Jay's was more creative

[AliveBoy]

Is the same true for more intimate pictures?

 

I don't think coordinates go that small do they?

 

edit: Typo

 

Got to say Jay's was more creative

 

I didn't want to reply to Jay as I thought it could open a can of worms

[Flex]

wimp lol.

[Jay84]

And obviously I'm relieved she's not been stolen. She keeps my zeditus in check. Oh look my new spoiler has just be delivered to work...

[Ekona]

...and of course, it only cost £50 when she asks.

[Jay84]

And someone owed me a favour to spray and fit it.

[Flex]

lol.

 

I must remember these tricks.

[Jay84]

I wouldn't, I spent a year apart from the wife and kids...although for other reasons. I call it my gap year, which she hates. Point is, I'm a bad role model lol

[Strudul]

But a bad role model with a cool car

[colesl4w]

Think some of the mugs in ISIS got caught out with something similar. Some dollop posted a photo of himself with an AK in the middle of an ISIS compound (#justTerroristThings), giving away their position and allowing them to be wiped out. Trololol.

[WINKJ]

How about with Instagram and Twitter? Does this still apply

[marzman]

And what about photos uploaded to this forum? Anyone tried that yet?

Edited May 10, 2017 by marzman

[glrnet]

And what about photos uploaded to this forum? Anyone tried that yet?

Mine are uploaded from photobucket so I assume that's safe but a very good reminder by Matt. Cheers

[marzman]

And what about photos uploaded to this forum? Anyone tried that yet?

Mine are uploaded from photobucket so I assume that's safe but a very good reminder by Matt. Cheers

 

Yes but doesnt the forum allow people to upload attachments? in the My Media section? Its not something i've ever used so dont know.

[Stutopia]

And what about photos uploaded to this forum? Anyone tried that yet?

 

I rarely do them directly to here, good shout.

[marzman]

And what about photos uploaded to this forum? Anyone tried that yet?

 

I rarely do them directly to here, good shout.

 

Tried to view yours and it says there isnt any. Using this tool, do you see the exif data on your original file?

 

http://www.verexif.com/en/ver.php