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

title	icon
Data and Metadata Redaction	material/tag-remove

When sharing files, be sure to remove associated metadata. Image files commonly include 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-android: IzzyOnDroid (APK)](https://android.izzysoft.de/repo/apk/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 (Android)

!!! 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-fdroid: F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.mathema.privacyblur/)

!!! 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
```