[cope123]

For a long time, I think most people (including me) treated images as inert files — just pixels you can safely share anywhere.

Digging deeper into image metadata changed that perspective quite a bit. Modern photos can contain precise GPS coordinates, timestamps, device identifiers, and even traces of editing software — often without users being aware of it.

What surprised me most is how often images are shared outside major platforms (forums, documentation, support tickets, marketplaces, blogs) where metadata is not reliably stripped.

I’m curious how people here think about this:

– Do you personally treat images as potentially sensitive files? – Have you seen real-world privacy or security issues caused by image metadata? – Do you rely on platforms to sanitize images, or do you handle it yourself?

Interested in hearing experiences from security, OSINT, journalism, or anyone who’s had a “wait, that was in the image?” moment.