Does Facebook Really Remove Metadata? The 2025 Privacy Test

It is the oldest question in social media privacy: If I upload a photo of my house to Facebook, can people see where I live?

The official answer from Meta (Facebook/Instagram) is usually “We protect your privacy.” But as privacy researchers, we don’t trust marketing. We trust code.

We ran a 2025 Privacy Test on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram to see exactly what happens to your EXIF data (GPS, timestamps, and device IDs) when you hit “Post.” The results are more complicated—and worrying—than you might think.

The Short Answer: Yes, But…

If you upload a standard photo to your News Feed, Facebook’s compression algorithm kicks in.

1. It resizes the image.
2. It strips the visible EXIF headers.
3. Result: If your friend downloads that photo, they cannot see your GPS location.

However, that is not the whole story.

The Hidden Danger: Messenger & “Files”

Here is where users get trapped. In Facebook Messenger (and WhatsApp), users often want to send high-quality photos without compression. So, they choose to send the photo as a “Document” or “File” instead of an “Image.”

The Test Result:

• Standard Messenger Photo: Metadata Removed (Safe from friends).
• Photo sent as “File”: METADATA REMAINS. (Unsafe).

If you send a photo as a file to a group chat, everyone in that group can download it, inspect it, and find your exact GPS coordinates.

Test Your Files: Not sure if you are sending safe photos? You can test your files using our Free Metadata Tool to see exactly what your friends (and strangers) can see.

The “Server-Side” Secret (What Mark Zuckerberg Knows)

Just because other users can’t see your metadata, doesn’t mean it’s gone.

When you upload a photo, Facebook stores the Original version on their servers before creating the compressed version for the public.

• Does Facebook have your location? Yes.
• Do they use it for Ads? Yes.
• Do they use it for AI Training? Yes.

If you value true privacy, you shouldn’t just rely on Facebook’s “Public” filter. You should starve the beast. By cleaning your metadata before uploading, you ensure that not even Facebook knows where the photo was taken.

Instagram & The “Archive” Loophole

Instagram works similarly to Facebook (they are the same company). Public posts are scrubbed.

But be careful with “Data Download” requests. If your account is ever hacked, and the hacker requests a “Download Your Information” package from Instagram, that package often contains the media with metadata intact.

The Lesson: The only way to be safe is to never give them the data in the first place. Not sure if your phone is recording this data? Read our guide to check if your photos have location data enabled.

How to Protect Your Photos in 2025

You don’t need to quit social media. You just need to change your workflow.

Step 1: Clean Before You Post

Don’t upload raw photos directly from your Camera Roll.

1. Open CleanMetadata.net (Bookmark it!).
2. Drag your “Selects” (the photos you want to post) into the tool.
3. Download the Clean Copies.
4. Post the clean copies. Now, even if Facebook’s servers are hacked, your location data isn’t there to be stolen.

Step 2: Stop IP Tracking

Stripping metadata hides your GPS, but Facebook still tracks your IP Address to guess your location.

• Recommendation: Use [Link to NordVPN] when browsing or posting. It masks your IP address, making it much harder for Meta’s algorithm to link your physical location to your profile.

Step 3: Check Your Old Data

Facebook has had massive data leaks in the past (like the 533 million user leak). Your phone number and location history might already be in the hands of Data Brokers.

• Recommendation: Use Incogni (US/EU) or DeleteMe to scan the dark web and force data brokers to delete your leaked Facebook data.

The Final Verdict

• Public Feed: Safe from friends, Unsafe from Facebook.
• Messenger Files: NOT SAFE.
• Best Practice: Clean it yourself.

Don’t trust the platform to protect you. Take control of your own data.