Research and field guides
The file metadata journal
Practical explanations, format boundaries, and sharing workflows for the hidden data carried by photos, documents, PDFs, and audio.
Featured File tools
How to View File Metadata Locally Before You Share
Inspect supported metadata in PDF, Office, MP3, GIF, and SVG files on your device before you share them.
9 minRead article
Library
Latest metadata privacy articles
Useful, format-specific resources covering photos, documents, audio, platform behaviour, and the limits of automated cleanup.
File tools8 min
What Is ID3 Metadata in an MP3 File?
A plain-language guide to ID3 tags, embedded cover art, privacy risks, and the information an MP3 may carry alongside its audio.
Guide18 min
What is EXIF Data? Complete Guide to Photo Metadata
A clear explanation of EXIF, what it contains, and how to control it.
Guide15 min
Smartphone Photo Privacy: Complete Guide
Step-by-step settings and workflows for managing photo metadata on mobile.
Platforms9 min
Do Social Media Platforms Remove EXIF Data?
What each major platform actually removes, keeps, or rewrites when you upload.
Image tools8 min
How to Redact an Image Online Before You Share It
A practical local workflow for covering faces, text, addresses, and account details in an image.
Image tools7 min
How to Resize an Image Online Without Uploading It
Resize JPG, PNG, and WebP files locally to exact pixels or a percentage while keeping proportions intact.
File tools8 min
GIF Metadata: Comments, XMP, and What to Remove Before Sharing
What an animated GIF can store outside its frames, and how to inspect a local sharing copy.
File tools8 min
SVG Metadata and Comments: What Vector Files May Reveal
A focused guide to SVG metadata, comments, accessibility text, and preparing a safe vector sharing copy.
Documents11 min
Document Metadata: What PDF and Office Files Can Reveal
A practical guide to author, company, template, date, software, XMP, and custom fields in documents.
Privacy10 min
Metadata Removal vs Redaction: What File Cleaning Does Not Remove
Learn where metadata cleanup ends and content inspection or redaction must begin.
Platforms14 min
Social Media EXIF Data Policies 2025: Complete Platform Analysis
How major platforms handle your metadata and what it means for your published photos.
Platforms7 min
Instagram & EXIF: What Actually Gets Removed
Testing what Instagram keeps, removes, and rewrites in 2025.
Platforms8 min
Facebook & EXIF: What Actually Gets Removed
The latest findings on how Facebook handles EXIF metadata during uploads.