StripPhoric

Generally speaking, EXIF contains a lot of information about your digital camera as well as the GPS coordinates where the pictures were taken. Consequentially, if you are planning to share your photos with others and care about your privacy, then you may want to remove the metadata.

StripPhoric is a lightweight utility designed to help you strip the private EXIF from photos that you plan to share and hence, block any undesirable actions that can result from geotagging.

The setup is quick, straightforward and does not require any special attention from your part. The program comes with an unpolished and minimalistic interface that consists of a single window that features all the available functions.

Functionality-wise, the application is as simple to use as it looks, meaning that you can load the photos you want to strip of metadata, select the preferred mode and then hit the Strip files button. You can add single files or entire directories of pictures of either using the dedicated buttons or more conveniently with drag and drop.

It is necessary to mention that the utility provides you two modes for erasing data that is stored in EXIF, namely Basic and Default. Regardless of the one you choose, you should know that the app keeps the required fields to reproduce the image in standard RGB color.

In the Basic mode, the utility also preserves the information associated with the accurate color and size. For PNG files this can translate into keeping the gAMA, cHR and pHYS fields, whereas for JPG it maintains the application-specific fields.  On a side note, for the time being the application works with JPG and PNG file formats solely.

In the eventuality that you are sharing photos on various websites with public access and you want to maintain your privacy or avert unpleasant situations that can result from geotagging – such as finding and following up on private events – then perhaps StripPhoric could come in handy.