The "Compression is Not Sanitation" Myth

There is a dangerous assumption that social media platforms automatically "clean" your files. This reliance on third-party hygiene is a security failure.

Section 1: The Social Scrubber

It is true that platforms like Facebook and Instagram aggressively compress images to save bandwidth. In this process, metadata is often stripped from the public-facing file served to users. However, this is a side effect of optimization, not a guarantee of privacy. "Header Persistence"—where small chunks of metadata survive the compression algorithm—remains a technical possibility.

Section 2: The Cloud Backup Leak

While the image displayed on your timeline might be clean, the image stored on the company's server is often the original. When you upload a file, many platforms retain the high-resolution source file (with full EXIF data) in their "Cloud Backup" or "Memories" storage. If your account is compromised or subpoenaed, the original data is still there.

Section 3: The DM Danger

Direct Messaging (DM) protocols often treat files differently than public posts. To preserve quality for sharing, many messaging apps send the file "as-is" or with minimal compression. This means a photo sent privately to a friend—or a stranger—often carries the full payload of location and device data.

Section 4: The Protocol

You cannot rely on the opaque, changing policies of tech giants to protect you. The only secure protocol is Source Sanitation.

Always pass your files through a privacy focused image editor before the upload begins. By ensuring the file is clean on your local device, you render the platform's handling of the file irrelevant. You are secure by design, not by permission.