Clean up metadata

The following is mostly taken from the entry on metadata in the Systemli Wiki.

Exifcleaner

Platform: Linux, Mac, Windows Exifcleaner is an application for removing metadata from files.

Metadata Cleaner

Platform: Linux Metadata Cleaner is a popular program for deleting all metadata from various file formats with a single click. It supports all common file formats and is very easy to use. It is based on Mat2, which is presented here. Mat2 is particularly interesting to us because of its web application, which can be a good alternative for on the go.

Mat2

Platform: Web browser (online, all systems) and file manager (offline, Linux)

Mat2 is pre-installed on the anonymous operating system Tails and can be installed on other Linux systems. Instead of being a standalone program, mat2 is installed as an extension for the file browser and used by right-clicking on the file to be cleaned up.

Web application

You can also use mat2 without installation as a web application at https://metadata.systemli.org. The files are uploaded to the Systemli server, cleaned up there, and then you can download them again. The web application is therefore an alternative for when you are on the go.

Scrambled Exif

Platform: Android

Scrambled Exif is an open-source app for cleaning up image files. You can download the app from the Google Play Store or F-Droid. After installation, you need to open the app once and give it permission to access your storage in order to set it up. Then, every time you want to share an image, you can share it via Scrambled Exif. It will clean up the file and ask you which app you want to share the cleaned file with.

Printerdots

As described at HacksAndLeaks: Instead of uploading original documents whose printer dots could reveal your identity, it is better to type or reproduce the originals by hand, print them on an “anonymous” printer, and publish them that way.

Anonymize scanned documents

Okular

Platform: Linux, Windows, (MacOS officially only with unstable version, but works quite well according to experience)

Okular is a PDF viewer that can also be used to black out documents.

Obfuscate

Platform: Linux

With Obfuscate, image files can be reliably pixelated/blacked out.

Libre Office

Documents can also be blacked out with Libre Office. However, most people find the above methods much more intuitive and simpler. An older but very good English-language guide can be found here.

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