What Is Metadata?
Digital Data Descriptors
If data includes web information, then metadata helps describe it. In other words, metadata gives an overview of an online item’s content. For instance, a blog would contain metadata about the blog’s length, author, and publication date. Similarly, image metadata might include the size of the picture as well as its resolution. This is the case for any other type of online media, such as videos or mp3 files.
How Metadata Is Used Online
Metadata and web browsing
Websites store metadata in the form of metatags. These HTML tags contain details about a webpage, without displaying this information on a web browser. Metatags often include important keywords about a page. If a webpage describes the processes of OSINT investigations, then such keywords might include OSINT, investigations,open sourcedata, and other phrases relevant to that page.
Databases store metatags on the web. Search engines like Google use these databases to access metatags when indexing webpages. The process of indexing webpages helps search engines decide how to organize pages on the web and rank them in order of importance. For creating digital footprints, metadata has a special role: it can tell webpages and online advertisers about your browsing preferences. This type of data will reveal exactly which webpages you visit and for how long. Google, online advertisers, and random websites can then use algorithms to predict your interests, geolocation, and movement patterns.
Metadata and social media
When you write a social media post, you probably include an article link or image you’d like to share with the rest of your followers. Social media sites scrape these shared links and images to obtain metadata about the content. If you post an original image to your Facebook page, the metadata will show the size of the photo, its resolution, and where you snapped it. If you downloaded the image from a different site, the metadatawillshow the exact time and date of the download.
The Subtle Way You’re Being Tracked
Metadata allows users to find your digital information. The pieces of data attached to the links, photos, videos, or other files you click on will reveal information about you. If metadata makes your digital information searchable, but you don’t want anyone to discover that information, then you mustfollow managed attribution operational best practicesto alleviate these data-tracking risks.
FAQs
Metadata is the hidden information stored within your images and includes details about the camera settings, date, time, and location, among other things.
What is metadata tracking? ›
Metadata is mainly utilized to track consumer behavior or patterns when accessing content or sites. By having a system sort and analyze how many times a user clicks on a particular product image or how long they stay on a page, businesses can customize their website and how they present information.
What is metadata and why is it important? ›
Metadata summarizes basic information about data, making finding and working with particular instances of data easier. It doesn't tell you what the content is, but instead describes the type of thing that it is. Essentially it helps explain its provenance – its origin, nature and lineage.
What is an example of metadata in real life? ›
In the real world, metadata is everywhere. Each time you open an email, read a book or order something on Amazon, you encounter metadata. The metadata of a book is the title, author, number of pages etc. Every book is enriched with metadata.
How to find hidden metadata? ›
Metadata2Go.com is a free online tool that allows you to access the hidden exif & meta data of your files. Just drag & drop or upload an image, document, video, audio or even e-book file. We will show you all metadata hidden inside the file!
How is metadata harmful? ›
Metadata by itself is not bad, but it may reveal more about you, your devices, or our organization than you realize. Many devices, such as your computer, camera, or smartphone, automatically embed metadata in any digital files they create.
What can metadata tell you? ›
Metadata allows users to access resources by "allowing resources to be found by relevant criteria, identifying resources, bringing similar resources together, distinguishing dissimilar resources, and giving location information".
What can metadata reveal about your identity? ›
Metadata often contain more than just dates and times--it also includes location data (where someone was when they sent an email), which could reveal where they live or work.
How do I check my metadata? ›
Locate the file in its folder or by searching the file name in File Explorer. Right-click the file and select Properties in the drop-down menu. Select the Details tab in the Properties window to view metadata.
Is metadata still important? ›
Meta tags certainly won't make or break an SEO campaign, but it fits in with everything else. Along with good high quality content, clean code, and a good URL structure, it's SEO best practice to include Meta data. However, since the search engine algorithms are more sophisticated, it isn't as important as it once was.
The metadata contains descriptions of the page's contents, as well as keywords linked to the content. This metadata is often displayed in search results by search engines, meaning its accuracy and details could influence whether or not a user decides to visit a site.
What is the difference between data and metadata? ›
Data is a set of raw facts that help identify useful information when they are cleaned, processed, and organized. Metadata, on the other hand, is data about data. If data is the new oil, metadata is the refinery. Without metadata, there is no way to understand or use the data in hand.
Can metadata be used as evidence? ›
In litigation, “metadata is evidence, typically stored electronically, that describes the characteristics, origins, usage, and validity of other electronic evidence.”
What is the most common metadata? ›
Descriptive metadata is often the most commonly referenced and utilized metadata, since it is so accessible, visible and relevant on popular file types.
Where does metadata live? ›
Metadata can be embedded within a file. For example, when an image is scanned the associated metadata such as file type, date scanned, file name, and image resolution lives with the file or is embedded in the file. A file's metadata does not necessarily have to live within the file.
What is hidden metadata in Word? ›
Hidden metadata provides useful file information, but it could also endanger the privacy of your clients or employees. Microsoft Word's metadata, or document properties, stores details about files. Common metadata entries include the document's author, company, title and subject.
What is metadata on an Android phone? ›
Metadata support
This includes information such as color spaces and lens shading functions. Most of this information is a static property of the camera subsystem and can therefore be queried before configuring any output pipelines or submitting any requests.
What is the metadata cleaner for Android? ›
Scrambled Exif (pronounced eggsif) helps you remove the metadata in your pictures before you share them. If you feel like it. If you don't want the big Internet companies (or whomever) to know where your pictures were taken don't forget to remove the metadata from them before you share them.
What can hackers do with metadata? ›
These adversaries may then take advantage of the metadata to steal further data (e.g., PII, IP, or financial information) or to embarrass your firm. A metadata breach may end up damaging your reputation and may even result in financial losses or some kind of fines from a regulatory body.
