Photos on the Internet: a beautiful snapshot that can make life unpleasant

Once you upload your photo on the Internet, you must take into account that you have uploaded it indelibly into the system (even if you actually delete the photo afterwards). However, inserting the media is just the beginning. The uploaded photo can be seen by virtually anyone.

Paying for ignorance

The biggest problem is that most people don't even realize they're doing something wrong. After all, who would have anything against a photo of Christmas dinner, for example? At most, your friends will grace you with a nice comment and a bunch of likes, but a potential thief just found out what it looks like at your house. Plus, if you post on Stories that you're going to church at midnight, you could very easily get a nasty surprise on your return.

Yes, the above example is a bit extreme, but certainly not unrealistic.

Another example of when public photography can get you in trouble is at work. Whether you're part of a larger company or work as a freelancer, your profile can be viewed by anyone, including your boss or a client. You should therefore be careful not to post anything that could damage or discourage them from working with you.

How to protect your privacy online:

• Set up a private profile,
• To share photos of your presence, ideally use Stories with friend circle settings,
• Avoid location tagging,
• Post photos to networks ideally with a delay,
• Don't treat social networks like a personal gallery,
• Remove all metadata from uploaded photos,
• Go through the settings of each social network. networks, where you can choose tagging options and who can see your photos.

Watch out for photos of children

Parents very often resort to sharing various snapshots of their children's lives online. Videos of baby's first steps or sitting on the potty, for example, are very popular. Such moments may amuse the adults, but in a few years they can become a nightmare for the child. It will only be a matter of time before such a "cute photo" is found by classmates who will circulate it to the rest of the school. Ridicule and name-calling may be the least that can happen.

What not to share on social media:

• Photographs of your place of residence and property,
• Photos of work, school or daycare,
• Copies of work documents, contracts or receipts,
• Photographs that may harm another person in any way,
• Photographs of others without their consent.

Photo anonymization application

Anonymous Camera

This app provides a camera mode that disables the storage of time and location data in base. The captured image then has no metadata to tell where and when it was captured. In addition, the app also offers the option to hide the face and full body. If you're shooting video, you can also use face blur or voice masking, which can be useful for reporters shooting interviews.

Price: Free with watermark (download for iOS)

Photo Metadata Remover

Photo Metadata Remover may look visually different, but in the end it offers the same thing. In this app, you simply select your photos and then instruct it to delete all the data. That way, the person you send the photos to will never know where or when they were taken (even if they download them from social media).

Price: Free with advertising (download for Android)