Question from Jeremy: I’m a professional photographer and I use Facebook and Twitter to showcase some of my best images to potential customers.
I’ve noticed that those services automatically strip the location metadata from every photo as it’s being uploaded.
The metadata in my photos is important because it contains some really important info, including the location where the photo was taken.
I DO NOT want any of that info removed when I upload my photos to Facebook and Twitter, but they remove the location every time.
Why are they doing this, and is there any way to prevent them from doing it?
Rick’s answer: I hate to have to tell you this, but the answer to your second question is no, Jeremy.
Facebook and Twitter strip the location info from every photo that’s uploaded to their servers, and there is currently no way to prevent them from doing so.
I know all too well the negative impact this policy can have on professional photographers, but social networking services do it to protect the privacy and security of their users and their children.
As you mentioned, photos taken with cameras and mobile devices that have GPS enabled embed the location where the photo was taken in the photo’s metadata.
That can be a huge problem, for the following reasons:
1 – Photos of children taken while they are at home or at school put them at risk of being stalked and/or abducted if the wrong person sees the photo and examines the metadata.
2 – Publishing photos with the metadata intact could also place estranged/abused spouses and their children at risk of being found by someone who is intent on doing them harm.
For those reasons, I support the decisions of Facebook and Twitter to remove the location info from photos by default.
I do believe however that adult users should have the option to change a setting that would disable the removal of any metadata from their own photos if they choose to do so. I see no harm in Facebook allowing those who are aware of the risks (and rewards) to leave the metadata intact.
That would protect the privacy and security of those who need protecting while preserving the rights of photographers to protect and keep track of their own copyrighted photos. Hopefully they will make that option available to everyone at some point in the future.