privacyguides.org/docs/data-redaction.en.md

---
title: "Data and Metadata Redaction"
icon: material/tag-remove
---
When sharing files, be sure to remove associated metadata. Image files commonly include [Exif](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif) data. Photos sometimes even include GPS coordinates in the file metadata.

## Desktop

### ExifCleaner

!!! recommendation

    ![ExifCleaner logo](assets/img/data-redaction/exifcleaner.svg){ align=right }

    **ExifCleaner** is a freeware, open-source graphical app that uses [ExifTool](https://exiftool.org) to remove Exif metadata from images, videos, and PDF documents using a simple drag and drop interface. It supports multi-core batch processing and dark mode.

    [:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://exifcleaner.com){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
    [:octicons-info-16:](https://github.com/szTheory/exifcleaner#readme){ .card-link title=Documentation}
    [:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/szTheory/exifcleaner){ .card-link title="Source Code" }

    ??? downloads

        - [:simple-windows11: Windows](https://github.com/szTheory/exifcleaner/releases)
        - [:simple-apple: macOS](https://github.com/szTheory/exifcleaner/releases)
        - [:simple-linux: Linux](https://github.com/szTheory/exifcleaner/releases)

### MAT2

!!! recommendation

    ![MAT2 logo](assets/img/data-redaction/mat2.svg){ align=right }

    **MAT2** is free software, which allows the metadata to be removed from image, audio, torrent, and document file types. It provides both a command line tool and a graphical user interface via an [extension for Nautilus](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2/-/tree/master/nautilus), the default file manager of [GNOME](https://www.gnome.org), and [Dolphin](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2/-/tree/master/dolphin), the default file manager of [KDE](https://kde.org).

    On Linux, a third-party graphical tool [Metadata Cleaner](https://gitlab.com/rmnvgr/metadata-cleaner) powered by MAT2 exists and is [available on Flathub](https://flathub.org/apps/details/fr.romainvigier.MetadataCleaner).

    [:octicons-repo-16: Repository](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
    [:octicons-info-16:](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2/-/blob/master/README.md){ .card-link title=Documentation}
    [:octicons-code-16:](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2){ .card-link title="Source Code" }

    ??? downloads

        - [:simple-windows11: Windows](https://pypi.org/project/mat2)
        - [:simple-apple: macOS](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2#requirements-setup-on-macos-os-x-using-homebrew)
        - [:simple-linux: Linux](https://pypi.org/project/mat2)
        - [:octicons-globe-16: Web](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2#web-interface)

## Mobile

### ExifEraser (Android)

!!! recommendation

    ![ExifEraser logo](assets/img/data-redaction/exiferaser.svg){ align=right }

    **ExifEraser** is a modern, permissionless image metadata erasing application for Android.

    It currently supports JPEG, PNG and WebP files.

    [:octicons-repo-16: Repository](https://github.com/Tommy-Geenexus/exif-eraser){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
    [:octicons-info-16:](https://github.com/Tommy-Geenexus/exif-eraser#readme){ .card-link title=Documentation}
    [:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/Tommy-Geenexus/exif-eraser){ .card-link title="Source Code" }

    ??? downloads

        - [:simple-googleplay: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.none.tom.exiferaser)
        - [:simple-github: GitHub](https://github.com/Tommy-Geenexus/exif-eraser/releases)

The metadata that is erased depends on the image's file type:

* **JPEG**: ICC Profile, Exif, Photoshop Image Resources and XMP/ExtendedXMP metadata will be erased if it exists.
* **PNG**: ICC Profile, Exif and XMP metadata will be erased if it exists.
* **WebP**: ICC Profile, Exif and XMP metadata will be erased if it exists.

After processing the images, ExifEraser provides you with a full report about what exactly was removed from each image.

The app offers multiple ways to erase metadata from images. Namely:

* You can share an image from another application with ExifEraser.
* Through the app itself, you can select a single image, multiple images at once, or even an entire directory.
* It features a "Camera" option, which uses your operating system's camera app to take a photo, and then it removes the metadata from it.
* It allows you to drag photos from another app into ExifEraser when they are both open in split-screen mode.
* Lastly, it allows you to paste an image from your clipboard.

### Metapho (iOS)

!!! recommendation

    ![Metapho logo](assets/img/data-redaction/metapho.jpg){ align=right }

    **Metapho** is a simple and clean viewer for photo metadata such as date, file name, size, camera model, shutter speed, and location.

    [:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://zininworks.com/metapho){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
    [:octicons-eye-16:](https://zininworks.com/privacy/){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }

    ??? downloads

        - [:simple-appstore: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/metapho/id914457352)

### PrivacyBlur

!!! recommendation

    ![PrivacyBlur logo](assets/img/data-redaction/privacyblur.svg){ align=right }

    **PrivacyBlur** is a free app which can blur sensitive portions of pictures before sharing them online.

    [:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://privacyblur.app/){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
    [:octicons-eye-16:](https://privacyblur.app/privacy.html){ .card-link title="Privacy Policy" }
    [:octicons-info-16:](https://github.com/MATHEMA-GmbH/privacyblur#readme){ .card-link title=Documentation}
    [:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/MATHEMA-GmbH/privacyblur){ .card-link title="Source Code" }

    ??? downloads

        - [:simple-googleplay: Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.mathema.privacyblur)
        - [:simple-appstore: App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/privacyblur/id1536274106)

!!! warning

    You should **never** use blur to redact [text in images](https://bishopfox.com/blog/unredacter-tool-never-pixelation). If you want to redact text in an image, draw a box over the text. For this, we suggest apps like [Pocket Paint](https://github.com/Catrobat/Paintroid).

## Command-line

### ExifTool

!!! recommendation

    ![ExifTool logo](assets/img/data-redaction/exiftool.png){ align=right }

    **ExifTool** is the original perl library and command-line application for reading, writing, and editing meta information (Exif, IPTC, XMP, and more) in a wide variety of file formats (JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PDF, RAW, and more).

    It's often a component of other Exif removal applications and is in most Linux distribution repositories.

    [:octicons-home-16: Homepage](https://exiftool.org){ .md-button .md-button--primary }
    [:octicons-info-16:](https://exiftool.org/faq.html){ .card-link title=Documentation}
    [:octicons-code-16:](https://github.com/exiftool/exiftool){ .card-link title="Source Code" }
    [:octicons-heart-16:](https://exiftool.org/#donate){ .card-link title=Contribute }

    ??? downloads

        - [:simple-windows11: Windows](https://exiftool.org)
        - [:simple-apple: macOS](https://exiftool.org)
        - [:simple-linux: Linux](https://exiftool.org)

!!! example "Deleting data from a directory of files"

    ```bash
    exiftool -all= *.file_extension
    ```