this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2023

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So Google is now preventing people from removing location data from photos taken with Pixel phones. (mediacdn.aus.social)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by ajsadauskas@aus.social to c/technology@lemmy.ml

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So Google is now preventing people from removing location data from photos taken with Pixel phones.

Remember when Google's corporate motto was "don't be evil?"

Obviously, accurate location data on photos is more useful to a data mining operation like Google.

From Google: "Important: You can only update or remove estimated locations. If the location of a photo or video was automatically added by your camera, you can't edit or remove the location."

It's enshitification in action.

Source: https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6153599?hl=en&sjid=8103501961576262529-AP

#technology #tech @technology #business #enshitification #Android #Google @pluralistic #infosec

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[–] alex_02@infosec.exchange 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic this is going to backfire on them.

[–] miah@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic I recommend ObscuraCam. It can remove metadata from existing photos, detect and obscure faces, and take photos without metadata.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.witness.sscphase1

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[–] RassilonianLegate@mstdn.social 1 points 2 years ago (7 children)

@ajsadauskas

@technology @pluralistic

And with that I continue to inch closer and closer to giving up and getting a linux phone...

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[–] analogfusion@mastodon.art 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic That is really evil. I have a Pixel 4a, but I'm running GrapheneOS for security.

[–] jonhendry@iosdev.space 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic

Probably also useful for AI data sets.

[–] morpheo@kolektiva.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

@ajsadauskas
can you use a different photo app?
@technology @pluralistic

[–] morpheo@kolektiva.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas
...and would it make any difference?
@technology @pluralistic

[–] prashmohan@discuss.systems 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic I have no personal knowledge of the matter, but it reminds me of the quote - "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence"

[–] hgrsd@hachyderm.io 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic

Better make sure you turn off location data and location estimates in your settings before it's too late.

Google Photos > Settings > Location > Location Sources

[–] rickf@indieweb.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic @amyegan Insanity.

[–] stufromoz@aus.social 1 points 2 years ago

@ajsadauskas @technology @pluralistic @reselsnark if you want to remove location data from photos, open them in the standard paint on a windows computer and save. It kills a lot of metadata

[–] CannotSleep420@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

For anyone interested in the image text @OCRBot@lemmygrad.ml

[–] OCRBot@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 years ago

URL image text

Edit or remove an estimated location from a photo Important: You can only update or remove estimated locations. If the location of a photo or video was automatically added by your camera, you can't edit or remove the location.

On your Android phone or tablet, open Google Photos 3&.
Open the photo or video.
Tap More : > Edit /. • Add or select a location from your recent locations. • To remove the estimated location, tap Remove location.

This action was performed by a bot.

[–] nickapos@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

I usually edit my photos in gimp.

[–] b_cavello@mastodon.publicinterest.town 1 points 2 years ago

@technology @ajsadauskas @pluralistic image description:
Google instructions on how to edit or remove an estimated location from a photo reading
“Important: You can only update or remove estimated locations. If the location of a photo or video was automatically added by your camera, you can't edit or remove the location.”

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