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File Metadata Information - You could be putting yourself at risk!

FloofyNewfie

FloofyNewfie

The Floofy Administrator
Staff member
Many folks have asked us what metadata gets scrubbed from which file types on the forum. In the past, we've told users "image metadata is scrubbed, however video metadata is not." However, after further testing it turns out this isn't exactly accurate.

Only .jpg and .jpeg files will have their metadata information scrubbed automatically by the forum. Even then, it can take 20 minutes to a few hours. Any other image file type (.png, .gif, .tif, etc.) will permanently contain metadata if you do not remove the data yourself before uploading your image/video onto the forum. Ditto with ALL video files, they will not have their metadata information scrubbed.

What is metadata?

Put simply, metadata is information that is descriptive or is a file descriptor that's buried inside of a file and cannot normally be seen without a special program. Any file can contain metadata, but most common it's prevalent in photos and videos.

Why should I be concerned?

Because this unseen buried file data can contain anything from your full uncensored name to your exact home address. Often, if you're not careful, phones will imbed "geo locating" into your photos if you don't disable the option in your settings beforehand, which contains your exact coordinates on a map. I'm going to guess that most of you don't fancy being doxxed.

What can I do about metadata? I want to share videos and pictures on the forum safely!!

While ZooVille itself doesn't endorse any particular program nor website. There's plenty of free programs and websites that you can Google that offer metadata scrubbing services. E.g. Exiftool or imagesmaller.com.




This is more of a public service announcement to correct prior disinformation that was shared by ZooVille staff to users in the past. As for the longest time we were pretty sure all image metadata got scrubbed automatically and we were not aware of the limitations of our plugin until somewhat recently. Only .jpg or .jpeg images will have their metadata automatically removed. Still, it's best not to rely on the forum software to do it for you. All it takes is someone downloading your file with your home address embedded inside of it shortly after you've posted it on the forum for your information to be doxxed if said person is malicious.
 
I had to message someone once because their video had a geolocation embedded in it that showed exactly where they recorded it. Thankfully I'm not a bad actor and just told them to remove it for their own safety, as well as to disable their location embedding.

Truth be told, geotagging should always remain off in your camera. GPS should stay off too, unless actively in use at that point in time. When it's done being used, turn it off.

Quadruple check everything you want to post before you post it. Wait some time in between checking, even going do far as to sleep on it a few times. Always try to look with a different set of eyes and scrutinize the shit out of every detail of your pictures and videos.

People are insanely crafty and piece together a little from here and a little from there to figure out more than might be expected.

Doubt nothing and distrust everyone.
 
dofae said:
a fast way to remove dangerous metadata without installing another program or learning cli is to take a screenshot or screenrecording of the image/video you want to send. just remember this is pretty lossy but its fast, also make sure your OS doesnt append anything important to screenshots, btw.
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The screenshot itself can contain metadata. Esp if you use your phone.
 
dofae said:
its going to depend entirely on what youre using, what os it has, and what applications taking the screen.
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Information some people aren't going to know and/or aren't going to be able to figure out if it attached that information.

Plus, there are mobile devices to consider as well.
 
dofae said:
the average person cant figure out.
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The average person is also exceedingly dumb and of below-average intelligence.

dofae said:
its called google bro, a lot of people have figured it out and use it to figure things out.
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And a lot of people DON'T use it, for any number of reasons. Don't think to, don't want to, don't know how, don't want to learn how, etc.

Why don't you be helpful to them and use it and copy and paste the links here to provide it for those that can't/won't find it for themselves?
 
I would also like to add something.

If you are using programs or apps like telegram ect, do not use your real phone number or at least have it hidden in the settings. I have seen way too many people have their real numbers on there. It is way too easy to get all your information from just a phone number.
 
dofae said:
this ENTIRE post is about checking metadata and learning about it, yet you arent complaining about that to the op. im not asking you to install gentoo or crack adobe or something, just check metadata.
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Because Floofy knows how to communicate to people without coming off pretentiously.
 
I never knew any of this, what metadata was and stuff, I always thought of never posting any images or videos of any sort, thank you for posting this though and keeping me informed
 
beast2732 said:
I would also like to add something.

If you are using programs or apps like telegram ect, do not use your real phone number or at least have it hidden in the settings. I have seen way too many people have their real numbers on there. It is way too easy to get all your information from just a phone number.
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Wait, can you really get someone's number on TG?
 
SxaBeast said:
The screenshot itself can contain metadata. Esp if you use your phone.
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that’s true.
On iPhone / iPad a screenshot contain geolocation / metadata, and it uses the filetype .png, which often is 10 times larger than .jpg.
And a file can embed the data to backstep the editing. So if I want to hide some details by drawing on it, I use the screenshot afterwards, and then I have to reduce the size and ensure that the metadata is removed from this file too.
Flymode does not turn the GPS of ! So your homevideo will still be geotagged.
the purpose of fly mode is to ensure that your phone does not transmit. But GPS is only receiving.
 
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Another item that will rat you out with metadata is MS Office documents. We're talking Word documents (.doc, .docx); excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx) and likely others. If someone else has office and has downloaded your file, they only need to mouse-over the file and up pops the name of whoever registered the software -or Windows. Beyond that, right click - Properties - Details will reveal who last edited and/or saved it.

All that aside, I don't recall having seen any Office docs posted here, though I have seen them elsewhere in the past.
 
As an additional caveat to the scrubbing software, last time I checked it *will not* remove the metadata if you load your jpg as *attachement* instead of embebbed.

So, do your own work to ensure your safety.
Consider this option only as a last chance safety if you screw it badly some day.
 
I have in the past uploaded a few pictures back on BF with fictitious metadata to mess with anyone who might be snooping. At one point I was altering them to put the GPS point to come up to a forested island, that is in the middle of a large lake. You can edit the metadata to say anything you want with a couple free tools online.
 
humananimal said:
Yes. I recently wrote a PM to someone because I could see his face. 3 clicks and it open up to a rectangle. Then I saw his location was still in the file.
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Yep. I reported a few in the past.

One of them, for reasons I suspect but hate to imagine, is likely still online unless they finally nucked the entire thread

CrossedDestiny said:
I have in the past uploaded a few pictures back on BF with fictitious metadata to mess with anyone who might be snooping.
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For long I've been tempted to upload a few altered to be in the middle of the Sixtine Chapel 😂
 
CrossedDestiny said:
I have in the past uploaded a few pictures back on BF with fictitious metadata to mess with anyone who might be snooping. At one point I was altering them to put the GPS point to come up to a forested island, that is in the middle of a large lake. You can edit the metadata to say anything you want with a couple free tools online.
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Call me lazy but I'm definitely not gonna go out of my way to create false Metadata :LOL: removing it is all ill bother to do
 
Goattobeloved said:
Sixtine Chapel 😂
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I can't tell if you're being ironic or sarcastic or if you genuinely think that's what it's named but seeing you call it the SIXtine Chapel is the funniest thing I've seen here in weeks..

Also, just for those who wish to know...........Bestiality of ANY kind is blocked on ALL Vatican propery. You have a better chance of stumbling over the US Nuclear Launch Codes than you do of any beast action on Vatican property.
 
Dogdaddy69 said:
Also, just for those who wish to know...........Bestiality of ANY kind is blocked on ALL Vatican propery. You have a better chance of stumbling over the US Nuclear Launch Codes than you do of any beast action on Vatican property.
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Oh, you mean the same way you'd never find pedophilia on vatican property? Those cloistered fuckheads will do anything.
 
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dartel said:
Oh, you mean the same way you'd never find pedophilia on vatican property? Those cloistered fuckheads will do anything.
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Don't misunderstand me......I'm not saying the personel aren't watching or indulging, I'm saying any and ALL web access to that (zoo) material is flat blocked under some extremely serious nannyware cyberprotocols. Across the street, you're good, as soon as you hit the property line, poof, it's out.

I have no idea how much actual property the vatican owns in Rome, specifically, but I can tell you every property I was on, this applied. That includes the hotel I stayed in, which is directly across the street from the vatican and owned by them, the vatican itself, and at least 3 other places visited in Rome owned by them.

And, I'm not talking about just their internet. It included on my cell phone data, on VPN or not.

I didn't try pedo shit because I'm not a fuckin pedophile.
 
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