How GPS coordinates are stored in photographs

Coordinates live in an EXIF subdirectory

JPEG EXIF data commonly uses a TIFF-style directory. A GPS pointer leads to values for latitude, longitude, altitude, direction, and the letter references that identify north, south, east, or west.

Latitude and longitude are often stored as degrees, minutes, and seconds using rational numbers. A scanner converts those components to decimal degrees for easier review.

Precision is a privacy decision

Several decimal places can narrow a location to a building or smaller area. Even less precise coordinates can identify a neighborhood or work site when combined with the visible scene and posting history.

Maps create a separate disclosure

Displaying coordinates locally is different from sending them to a map service. A privacy tool should not load a third-party map automatically because the request itself can reveal the coordinates and ordinary browser information.

If you choose to open a map, treat that as a separate disclosure to the selected provider.

Removing GPS does not remove every clue

Street signs, house numbers, school logos, shipping labels, reflections, and distinctive landmarks remain in the pixels. Metadata cleaning and visual review solve different parts of the problem.