Photo privacy checklist

Run through these seven checks before you post a photo publicly, send it to a stranger or attach it to a listing.

1. Location tag. Check for a GPS position with the metadata viewer and remove it.
2. Faces. Are there people, especially children, who did not agree to be shown?
3. Screens and papers. Zoom in on monitors, letters, parcels and ID cards in the background.
4. Number plates and house numbers. Blur or crop them.
5. Reflections. Mirrors, windows and sunglasses can show you or your surroundings.
6. The view. A distinctive view from a window can locate a home.
7. The original. Keep the unedited file offline; share only the cleaned copy.

Settings worth changing on your phone

Both major phone systems let you turn off location tagging in the camera settings, and let you remove location when sharing a picture from the photo gallery. Check these settings after system updates, as they can change.