Two phones, one scene: what each photo gave away without a location

The same building in Melbourne, about a minute apart.

• Android phone.
• iPhone.

What changed

• The Android photo carried a small record after the picture, written by the phone, holding the country of the SIM card's mobile network and the capture time, which gives away the time zone.
• The iPhone photo named the exact phone and lens it was taken with.
• No location in either copy. The Android phone had location on, but Samsung phones can remove it when a photo is shared.

What the report said: Authenticity A for both. Exposure C for the Android photo, B for the iPhone photo.

Neither detail is dramatic on its own. Collected across the photos someone shares over time, they narrow down who, when and where.

Go deeper

• What travels with a photo: Can a photo be tracked back to you?
• Why it matters: What your phone photos reveal about you, by Kenneth Springer
• Try it on your own photo