Photo privacy guide
Remove GPS before selling online
People often take marketplace photos at home, in a garage, at work or in storage. A quick privacy check can help reduce location exposure.
Why marketplace photos can reveal location
Location can appear in hidden metadata or visible details. Both matter when posting item photos publicly.
- GPS metadata
- Visible background details
- Street signs or house numbers
- Reflections
- Delivery labels or documents
What GPS metadata is
GPS metadata is location information that some phones and cameras save inside photo files when location tagging is enabled.
It is not always visible when viewing the image, so it can be easy to overlook.
Before posting an item photo
- Remove GPS and location metadata
- Crop distracting or identifying background details
- Hide serial numbers when appropriate
- Remove labels, receipts and documents
- Use a clean copy of the image
Metadata removal has limits
Removing common metadata can help, but visible clues still matter. Backgrounds, reflections and labels can reveal information even after metadata is cleaned.
Try ExifSafe
Remove common GPS and camera metadata locally before sharing item photos.