Year-End and New Year: "Take a Breath Before Posting" — Can "Tapioca Photos" Reveal Your Location? A Complete Guide to What Shouldn't Be in Your Photos on Social Media

1. Why "SNS Posting Risks" Spike During the Year-End and New Year

During the year-end and New Year, there is an increase in activities different from the usual routine. Visiting family, traveling, visiting shrines, year-end and New Year parties, shopping, and attending events. The more "special" the photos and videos feel, the more you want to post them. However, this is also a time when posts can easily become "your activity log."

The following two are particularly dangerous.

• Real-time posts reveal "I'm here now" or "I'm not at home"

• Photos contain more information, making it easier to deduce locations

In fact, there have been reports of accounts claiming to be "identifiers" who earn rewards by deducing addresses, names, workplaces, etc., from information on SNS. Those who post need to consider the premise that "information you don't want known can be pieced together from a single photo." TBS NEWS DIG+1

2. Location Identified from "Bubble Tea Photos"? "Reflections" Are the Most Critical Risk

Photos of "bubble tea" or drinks from cafes may seem harmless. However, professional analysis shows that reflections can sometimes serve as clues.

Why Reflections Are Dangerous

• Reflections of the surrounding scenery, lighting, and structures can appear on cup lids, straws, smartphone screens, window glass, mirrored walls, and glossy tables.

• When distinctive elements such as the shape of skyscrapers, elevated structures in front of stations, and the interior of commercial facilities are present, potential locations can be narrowed down.

TV reports and features have also introduced how shooting locations can be deduced from eye reflections and bubble tea reflections. Kansai TV Broadcasting Kantele+1

3. Things That Shouldn't Be in Photos—Checklist for "Identification Materials"

From here, we will specify "dangerous inclusions" assuming typical year-end and New Year photos. Please check this list from top to bottom before posting.

A. Things That Directly Reveal Locations

• Address visible: Nameplates, mail, delivery labels, medical cards, membership cards, school prints

• Station names and line names: Station platform signs, route maps, ticket gate signs, bus stops

• Place name signs: Tourist information boards, construction signs, parking lot signs

• Car license plates/bicycle registration numbers

• Manholes, fire hydrants, utility pole numbers (used for narrowing down with region-specific symbols) Kansai TV Broadcasting Kantele

B. Things That Reveal "Range of Activity"

• Backgrounds that reveal frequently visited convenience stores, gyms, walking paths, and nearby parks

• Photos taken around the home (exterior walls, gates, features in front of the entrance, nearby intersections)

• Posts about jogging or dog walking (regular times and routes are easy to deduce) TBS NEWS DIG

C. Reflections/Inclusions (Easily Overlooked)

• Reflections on windows/mirrors/smartphone screens/glasses/watch crystals

• Eye reflections (close-ups, selfies)

• Lids and glossy surfaces of drinks (bubble tea, coffee, cocktails, etc.) Kansai TV Broadcasting Kantele+1

D. Things That Lead to Room Identification (Home/Hotel)

• Views outside the window (neighboring buildings, signs, distinctive buildings)

• Angles that reveal the layout (beams, air conditioner positions, window arrangements)

• Curtains, flooring, balcony railings, etc., as clues for "property identification"
  ※Features mention that these can be cross-referenced with property information sites. Kansai TV Broadcasting Kantele

E. Personal Information/Financial Information

• Receipts (store name, address, date, purchased items)

• Tickets, airline tickets, hotel reservation screens

• Last four digits of credit cards, point cards, receipts

• Name tags, employee IDs, uniforms or gym clothes with school names

4. Things That Shouldn't Be in Posts—"Identification Materials" Beyond Photos

Even if the photo itself is harmless, the way you post can increase the risk.

• Real-time posting: "I'm here now," "Heading home now," "Away until a certain date"
  → Can become material for burglary or ambush, so "posting after some time" is recommended. Secom

• Adding location tags (geotags)
  → Makes it easy to deduce range of activity and lifestyle cycle. Secom

• Leaving the public setting as "public"
  → Even if intended for "friends," spreading, re-posting, and saving can occur. IPA warns that regardless of the public setting, it should be recognized as "the same as publishing on the internet." INTERNET Watch

5. Metadata (Exif) Issue: Is It Safe Because SNS Removes It?

Digital photos can contain shooting date, device, settings, and sometimes **GPS (location information)** (Exif). IPA warns that posting with GPS intact can lead to deducing home addresses or schools. INTERNET Watch

On the other hand, some SNS/services remove embedded metadata upon upload, as introduced in a blog by the Library of Congress, stating "many services remove metadata upon upload" (though "removal = safety" is not guaranteed). The Library of Congress+1

Conclusion: Don't Rely on SNS.

• Posting destinations change (X / Instagram / TikTok / messaging apps, etc.)

• Behavior changes with reposting screenshots, using different apps, cloud sharing, etc.

• In the first place, deductions are made from "the contents of the image" (reflections, signs, interiors, etc.)

That's why it's important to "remove location information yourself" and "erase inclusions."

6. Immediate Measures (Okay with Just a Smartphone)

6-1. iPhone: Remove Location Metadata

According to Apple's guidance, you can check and delete location information (metadata) embedded in photos and videos, and you can also set it not to send location information when sharing. Apple Support

Things to Do (In Order of Importance)

1. Delete location information in the Photos app (only for specific photos) Apple Support

2. **Turn off "Location Information"** when sharing Apple Support

3. Don't use camera location information in the first place (turn it on only when necessary) Apple Support

6-2. Make "Time-Delayed Posting" a Rule

From a security perspective, it is recommended not to mention "where you are now" and to leave some time before posting.

• When traveling: Post all at