If you have Python 3.6 or later installed on your computer, you can find out through the hands-on exercises below. How can I alter, add, or erase EXIF metadata programmatically?.How can I programmatically detect and read the EXIF metadata from a photo?.You’re probably aware of more recent stories where law enforcement has been arresting suspects using photos posted to a social media site that didn’t take the precaution of “scrubbing” their EXIF data during the upload process.īeing the security-conscious developers that I suspect you are, you’re probably asking yourself questions like these: That data gave away his location and led to his arrest. One journalist who was lucky enough to get an interview decided to show off his good fortune by posting a photo of McAfee without first removing its EXIF data. This was an exciting time in McAfee’s life, as he was evading law enforcement while still granting exclusive, much sought-after interviews to journalists. One of the earliest cautionary tales about EXIF is the 2012 privacy incident involving antivirus company founder John McAfee.
![read photo geotag read photo geotag](https://live.staticflickr.com/280/19453890469_a7c0e11d46_h.jpg)
However, it also introduces privacy and security concerns that many users don’t take into account. This metadata is useful for sorting, cataloging, and searching through photos, which is why the EXIF standard was defined.
![read photo geotag read photo geotag](https://miro.medium.com/max/750/1*Y9O8ojYXTqngzgEoT0CbEQ.png)
![read photo geotag read photo geotag](https://www.gpsfiledepot.com/images/articles/image/gpicsync2.jpg)
This means that at some point in your hunt you’ll have to think carefully how important it is to solve the puzzle. Elementary, My Dear Watson?įinding the origin of a photo and determining where it was taken can be quick and easy or an exercise in extreme frustration. Basically, as for help among people who are likely to know the answer. If you have a photo of an event or, for example, a band, you’ll want to post a question in a fan group. For example, if you know that an image was taken in Japan, but not where in Japan it was taken, you may post a question in a group that specialized in Japanese geography or tourism. The content of your image and your reasons for wanting the location will determine where you go for help. Of course, you can’t just shout into the ether and hope someone gets back to you.