Metadata is "data about data" or "information about information" that is embedded in computer files, usually automatically. Metadata is used to describe, identify, categorize, and sort files.
To learn more about how metadata can be used to identify and reveal personal information, see [Behind the Data: Investigating metadata](https://exposingtheinvisible.org/en/guides/behind-the-data-metadata-investigations/).
<p>If, instead of cleaning your own files, you want to sanitizeuntrusted documents shared with you by others, you can install [[<i>Dangerzone</i>|persistent_storage/additional_software/dangerzone]] as additional software.</p>