# Exif data



## Braders (Jun 27, 2011)

http://www.petapixel.com/2011/06/27...cy-brouhaha-over-serial-numbers-in-exif-data/

Interesting no one seems to care.

Sent from my A853 using Tapatalk


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## Mark Sirota (Jun 28, 2011)

Thanks for the reminder.  I just renewed the request to Jeffrey to offer the ability to strip the serial number explicitly through the Metadata Wrangler.  Until recently it was encoded in MakerNotes and therefore not managed by LR, but as of EXIF 2.3 and LR 3.4.1 it is now exported unless metadata is minimized.


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## Mark Sirota (Jun 28, 2011)

And Jeffrey has already pushed version 20110628.73 of the Metadata Wrangler, which now supports stripping the camera and lens serial numbers.


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## Jim Wilde (Jun 28, 2011)

Just out of curiosity, what's the issue here? Why is it important not to include serial numbers?


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## Mark Sirota (Jun 28, 2011)

Because they can be used to track you.  Did you read the article that Brad linked to?


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## Jim Wilde (Jun 28, 2011)

Yes I did, and didn't particularly understand the issue. Still don't really, so I guess I'm being particularly dumb tonight. But used to track me? Sorry, I'm not getting that at all.


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## b_gossweiler (Jun 28, 2011)

Jim,

I'll try to make an example:
You publish an image on your website, so it anybody knows you are the photographer of the image. If the camera serial no. is included in the metadata, people (or machines) can then go to the web and try to find all images with the same camera serial no., which might reveal images you don't want to be linked to.

Beat


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## Jim Wilde (Jun 28, 2011)

Beat, I understand that....but if I didn't want to be linked to certain pictures why on earth would I put them on the web?

Maybe that's a difference between a pro and a hobbyist.


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## b_gossweiler (Jun 28, 2011)

Well that's a different story, and I don't have the answer. I can only understand the technical side of it 

Beat


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## Braders (Jun 29, 2011)

I think it's less about the specifics and more to do with the prinicipal of privacy. More and more each day access to our information is becoming more transparant and companies are now taking that for granted, whereby they are willing to expose everything INITIALLY, and if you don't like you have to be proactive to stop/minimise it (aka FB privacy settings and image licencing agreements!) - and more than ever, apathetic lemmings don't seem to give 2 hoots. Huxley is lol....!


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## Jim Wilde (Jun 29, 2011)

I agree the wider point about the amount of data about ourselves and our lives that we willingly share, and I do try very hard not to be complacent about it. But if I was to draw up a list of the top 20 things relating to me that I would not want unfettered web access to, my camera/lens serial numbers would be like number 99.....in this specific matter I really don't mind being called an apathetic lemming.


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## MarkNicholas (Jun 29, 2011)

TNG said:


> Beat, I understand that....but if I didn't want to be linked to certain pictures why on earth would I put them on the web?
> 
> Maybe that's a difference between a pro and a hobbyist.



LOL. That was exactly my thought. I think people are too paranoid about ID privacy. In the UK they become apopleptic if you so much as mention ID cards. But in other places such as here in Hong Kong we have had them for years and would not give them back if they asked us to ! We use them to enter and exit through an electronic gate at the border controls using the card and your thumb print (no need for a passport at this end). It is ever so efficient and no queuing up at immigration.


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## Tyrone (Sep 12, 2011)

b_gossweiler said:


> Jim,
> 
> I'll try to make an example:
> You publish an image on your website, so it anybody knows you are the photographer of the image. If the camera serial no. is included in the metadata, people (or machines) can then go to the web and try to find all images with the same camera serial no., which might reveal images you don't want to be linked to.
> ...



Not sure about that, but it is useful if your camera gets stolen :/


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