Privacy, Offer to redact GPS metadata when sending a photo

[banana]

I placed a tech support call and someone on the other end asked me to upload a picture of the issue, I realized any photo I take with my phone is going to have my current location in the metadata, it would be nice if Firefox and K9 mail could offer to redact sensitive metadata when uploading.

Thanks !

[Jon]

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[paulphoenix1010]

Hi @banana,

Great point — a lot of people don’t realize that photos taken with smartphones often contain EXIF metadata, including GPS coordinates, device info, and even timestamps. This can unintentionally reveal your location or habits when shared publicly or in support requests.

Until Firefox or K-9 Mail offer built-in redaction features, here are a few easy workarounds you might find helpful:

Use built-in photo editing tools (iOS and Android both let you remove location data before sharing).

Use a third-party app like ScrambledExif (Android) or Metapho (iOS) — they strip metadata with just a tap.

Send screenshots instead of original photos — screenshots typically don’t carry GPS or EXIF data.

Use a privacy-focused browser or app that warns about metadata during upload — hopefully something Mozilla can bake into Firefox and related apps soon!

This topic actually reminds me of a similar concern we had when building a GPS-based train speedometer test. Since it uses real-time location, we made sure all data stays on the user’s device and isn’t stored or tracked, just like you're asking for: more control over personal info.

Would love to see more apps adopt this mindset by default.

Stay private & safe out there!
Paul Phoenix