Photos you post on the web could reveal secret info!" Like where you live"

Beware hidden "Geotags"

When Adam Savage, host of the popular science program “MythBusters,” posted a picture on Twitter of his automobile parked in front of his house, he let his fans know much more than that he drove a Toyota Land CruiserEmbedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken. Hence, he revealed exactly where he lived. And since the accompanying text was “Now it’s off to work,” potential thieves knew he would not be at home.Security experts and privacy advocates have recently begun warning about the potential dangers of geotags, which are embedded in photos and videos taken with GPS-equipped smartphones and digital cameras. Because the location data is not visible to the casual viewer, the concern is that many people may not realize it is there; and they could be compromising their privacy, if not their safety, when they post geotagged media online..

Full aritcle
Here are a few cameras that are equipped with GPS!

A few cameras with built-in GPS have been available for a year or two, including the Sony Cyber-shot HX5V, the Nikon Coolpix P6000 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7. But camera makers say they haven’t adopted widespread use of GPS radios in cameras because it’s expensive — it can add almost $100 to the cost of a camera — and because users haven’t really demanded the feature. Camera manufacturers see GPS as a niche market.

Source
I am pretty sure that most Iphones already have GPS If they incorporate geo-tags in all photos who knows "I wouldnt doubt it! To me this is scary stuff just think in ten years there shoould be absolutely "NO" privacy what so ever.....great world we live in today!............your thoughts?



[edit on 13-8-2010 by paradiselost333]

Start using 35mm film again. Just don't have Robin William develop it.

Simple solutions:

1. Don't post pics on the web.
2. Don't take pics with a gps equipped camera.

Pretty sad days when you can't trust your camera to not give your personal info away.

Most cameras that have geotagging also allow you to disable it.

Great story to make people aware that the default for this feature might be ON. Many don't even know it's there.

reply to post by paradiselost333


There is also an app called Google Goggles.

I can take a picture from my Droid phone, the app scans it, googles it, and brings back a bunch of potential hits. It can be a face, a landmark, or merchandise.

I just now did it. Took a picture of my keyboard, got the wikipedia page for keyboards, got keyboard magazine, got virtual keyboard websites, and of course, I got ads for keyboards for sale.

If you ran the app on a random photo, you may get linked to a facebook page, or a nearby landmark, or no-telling what else.

Yes, posting personal info in the Google age is dangerous!!

reply to post by ~Lucidity


Yea I was clueless of that feature until I read this article
atleast I am not the only one "Adam Savage" so I dont feel to
bad

Geo Tagging in digital pictures has been around for a few years. My Blackberry Curve 8330 model comes equipped with the feature. It comes from RIM with the geo tagging off by default. When you enable the feature it does warn you that by enabling the feature GPS coordinates will be embedded into the picture. I myself am a bit paranoid about the GPS capabilities embedded in cell phones, one of the first things I do when I get a new phone is to disable the GPS location feature. I know this doesn't stop me from being located, but it does give one a false sense of security

Is this whats included in the exif data?
Just wondering.. I have seen U.F.O. cases where
the exif data contradicts where the user said they were.
Or the exif data is missing so substantiating a witnesses
location becomes questionable.

If what I am talking about is accurate, I have seen this
talked about many times here. I think Joe consumer
may find this to be news, but I would think most digital
experts here know of this.

Wow !
The lengths tptb will go to, to find Bin Laden are astounding .




=================================================

A Brave New World awaits .......

But I know where I live - and so do thousands of other people. It's about as secret as the capital of France!

Not that I have - nor want - any camera or phone with GPS as I have no intention of going ocean sailing or exploring remote parts of the world where GPS might have some use.

reply to post by getreadyalready


Holy crap! That is nuts.. I did find it strange when I printed my photos at Walmart the other day that each photo had the date and time they were taken on the back. I used my iPhone for all the pics, that freaked me out because it doesn't even tell me that information when I look at the pic. How did it know that?!

Only matters if your famous. People see you walk into your house every day...big deal.

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
reply to post by getreadyalready

 

Holy crap! That is nuts.. I did find it strange when I printed my photos at Walmart the other day that each photo had the date and time they were taken on the back. I used my iPhone for all the pics, that freaked me out because it doesn't even tell me that information when I look at the pic. How did it know that?!

That is the exif data. It contains quite a lot of information:

- Date and time information. Digital cameras will record the current date and time and save this in the metadata.
- Camera settings. This includes static information such as the camera model and make, and information that varies with each image such as orientation (rotation), aperture, shutter speed, focal length, metering mode, and ISO speed information.
- A thumbnail for previewing the picture on the camera's LCD screen, in file managers, or in photo manipulation software.
- Descriptions and copyright information.

Okay I will admit my ignorance when it comes to this sort of thing. Not that I have to worry about it because I do not social network aside from ATS, but I also do not post pics on the web taken with a camera phone.

However, my question is where is this information found (I need full basics to understand this) and what exactly does it look like. Seriously I am not that hip on the tagging of files or information that is in said tags.

Thanks

Raist

Going to bump this hoping somone can answer my question.

I am honestly interested.


Raist

Originally posted by Raist
However, my question is where is this information found (I need full basics to understand this) and what exactly does it look like. Seriously I am not that hip on the tagging of files or information that is in said tags.

Thanks

Raist

geotag are geographic coordinates that are stored inside the photo file in what is known as Exif data. You can use this free Exif data viewer to see it, and this free Exif data remover to remove it.

reply to post by guzis


Sweet thanks.

I never knew photos had tags unless you added them yourself. I have a lot to learn when it comes to data and files still.

Raist