Risks of Geotagged Photos in Online Estate Auctions
When posting estate or downsizing auctions on platforms like A.....ja.com, using geotagged images can inadvertently compromise the privacy and security of your clients. Geotags, often embedded by smartphones or digital cameras, contain precise location data — sometimes down to exact GPS coordinates. If left unstripped, these metadata tags can be extracted by criminals, revealing the physical location of valuable items that are often still inside the client's residence.
This issue becomes especially sensitive when auctioned items belong to clients who have recently passed away or moved out of the immediate area. In such cases, the original residence is often left vacant or only lightly monitored. Uploading geotagged photos of antiques, collectibles, electronics, or even safes essentially broadcasts a digital roadmap for theft — making it easier for opportunists to target the property at the worst possible time.
Online auction photos are typically intended to showcase the condition and appeal of the items. However, these same photos, when improperly processed, can disclose far more than intended. Reverse image tools and browser-based EXIF viewers can extract geolocation data with ease. Even a novice with the right browser extension could determine where high-value items are stored — before the auction pickup location is even disclosed at the end of the online auction.
For auction companies, failing to address this risk could lead to serious consequences — not just for the homeowner, but also for their own reputation. A burglary traced back to geotagged listings might open the door to lawsuits, insurance disputes, and a damaged client base. Taking simple steps like stripping EXIF data before uploading, or using screenshots of the images instead of originals, can make a major difference in client protection.
As a best practice, auction professionals and estate liquidators should always review photos for embedded metadata and use tools to remove or anonymize it. Geotagging may seem like a small detail, but in the world of digital security, it's a big liability. Protecting your clients' locations is just as important as protecting the value of their belongings. Even easier, just turn off your camera's (or phone's) GPS/Location Services prior to taking those photos.
I have made this last suggestion to my favorite auctioneers when I have noticed them. The way that I have noticed them is that when I win an auction lot, I will download the photos of the auction lot, so I have a visual inventory to compare against when I do my auction pickup. When referring to those photos in Google Photos, I had checked the Information to see when I had downloaded the photos and noticed Location information, in latitude/longitude format, along with a map and a link for traveling to that location using a list of navigation choices!