# Remove Location and Camera Data From Uploaded Photos

> Strips EXIF metadata such as GPS location, camera serial number and date from JPEG and WebP images when they are uploaded, while keeping them correctly rotated.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Run everywhere
- Category: [Privacy & Cookies](https://wpide.com/library/category/privacy/)
- Tags: images, exif, uploads
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/privacy-strip-photo-metadata/

## Code

```php
add_filter( 'wp_handle_upload', function ( $upload ) {
    if ( empty( $upload['file'] ) || empty( $upload['type'] ) || ! in_array( $upload['type'], array( 'image/jpeg', 'image/webp' ), true ) || ! is_writable( $upload['file'] ) ) {
        return $upload;
    }

    $file = $upload['file'];

    if ( class_exists( 'Imagick' ) ) {
        try {
            $image = new Imagick( $file );
            switch ( $image->getImageOrientation() ) {
                case Imagick::ORIENTATION_BOTTOMRIGHT:
                    $image->rotateImage( '#000', 180 );
                    break;
                case Imagick::ORIENTATION_RIGHTTOP:
                    $image->rotateImage( '#000', 90 );
                    break;
                case Imagick::ORIENTATION_LEFTBOTTOM:
                    $image->rotateImage( '#000', -90 );
                    break;
            }
            $image->setImageOrientation( Imagick::ORIENTATION_TOPLEFT );
            $profiles = $image->getImageProfiles( 'icc', true );
            $image->stripImage();
            if ( ! empty( $profiles['icc'] ) ) {
                $image->profileImage( 'icc', $profiles['icc'] );
            }
            $image->writeImage( $file );
            $image->clear();
        } catch ( Exception $e ) {
            return $upload;
        }

        return $upload;
    }

    // GD fallback: re-saving drops all metadata.
    if ( 'image/jpeg' === $upload['type'] && function_exists( 'imagecreatefromjpeg' ) ) {
        $exif        = function_exists( 'exif_read_data' ) ? @exif_read_data( $file ) : false; // Corrupt EXIF blocks raise warnings.
        $orientation = is_array( $exif ) && ! empty( $exif['Orientation'] ) ? (int) $exif['Orientation'] : 1;
        $image       = @imagecreatefromjpeg( $file );
        if ( $image ) {
            $angles = array( 3 => 180, 6 => -90, 8 => 90 );
            if ( isset( $angles[ $orientation ] ) ) {
                $image = imagerotate( $image, $angles[ $orientation ], 0 );
            }
            imagejpeg( $image, $file, 90 );
            imagedestroy( $image );
        }
    }

    return $upload;
} );
```

## Notes

Uses Imagick when available and falls back to re-saving with GD (which also removes color profiles); photographers who want to keep metadata should not use this.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Remove Location and Camera Data From Uploaded Photos" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/