# Reinstate Metadata Cleaner **URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/reinstate-metadata-cleaner/34815 **Category:** Tool Suggestions **Tags:** completed **Created:** 2026-01-19T23:09:47Z **Posts:** 14 ## Post 1 by @U53R — 2026-01-19T23:09:47Z ### Website > **[MetadataCleaner / Metadata Cleaner · GitLab](https://gitlab.com/metadatacleaner/metadatacleaner)** > > View and clean metadata in files ### Short description It is a fork of abandoned [metadata cleaner](https://gitlab.com/rmnvgr/metadata-cleaner) ### Why I think this tool should be added Seems to be officially recognized [by Tails](https://gitlab.tails.boum.org/tails/tails/-/issues/20718#note_274505) (It is [included](https://tails.net/doc/sensitive_documents/metadata/index.en.html) in Tails official documentation) Also there is a [report](https://github.com/jvoisin/mat2/issues/36) on MAT2 to recommend it too. So i think if Tails included it, it is safe to recommend by PG ### Section on Privacy Guides Data and Metadata Redaction --- ## Post 2 by @urboss — 2026-01-21T20:26:09Z I didn’t understand > Metadata Cleaner will also be made available as a Flatpak on Flathub again. So it is not public now? Or what? --- ## Post 3 by @U53R — 2026-01-27T18:44:47Z > [@urboss](#): > > So it is not public now? Or what? It is, but flatpak will be available soon (for now no flatpak version) --- ## Post 4 by @Breeze7846 — 2026-01-27T18:50:58Z If legit (meaning properly maintained, trusted developers, etc) should absolutely be reinstated. But it being maintained by proper devs is key --- ## Post 5 by @jarvis — 2026-01-30T23:08:47Z > [@Breeze7846](#): > > If legit (meaning properly maintained, trusted developers, etc) Seems so, I checked links and it is indeed mentioned by Tails. --- ## Post 6 by @U53R — 2026-02-06T13:24:04Z > [@Breeze7846](#): > > But it being maintained by proper devs is key I think if Tails trust the, then devs are already proper. Don’t you think so? --- ## Post 7 by @Encounter5729 — 2026-02-07T11:45:39Z > [@U53R](#): > > It is, but flatpak will be available soon (for now no flatpak version) There is a flatpak version in the releases. Just not available on Flathub. --- ## Post 8 by @kissu — 2026-02-08T08:34:42Z I haven’t looked into the topic deeply enough but I hope there is[[1]](#footnote-137935-1) a way to have some CLI running on a given subset of drectories and cleaning any kind of metadata on file change. Hence, if you do have a photo downloaded going to your `Downloads` directory, it is automatically processed by some CLI and stripped of everything. Sounds like a basic tool for a NAS OS. I could see some drawbacks to it too of course (for example loosing precious data for a souvenir photo) hence why should be selective only. * * * 1. probably is [↩︎](#footnote-ref-137935-1) --- ## Post 9 by @Encounter5729 — 2026-02-08T10:06:44Z The only issue with this program is that it doesn’t change the file name to a random string. The file name is often the biggest metadata of all. EXIF Eraser (Android) does it. --- ## Post 10 by @jarvis — 2026-02-08T10:22:26Z > [@Encounter5729](#): > > doesn’t change the file name to a random string It is an issue with MAT2. That program is only GUI. I [reported](https://github.com/jvoisin/mat2/issues/40) it to MAT2 devs, but this got rejected. You can comment there if you want --- ## Post 11 by @jarvis — 2026-02-08T12:32:14Z > [@kissu](#): > > some CLI This program is only GUI. Use native MAT2. It can be scripted… --- ## Post 12 by @dngray — 2026-03-30T07:26:19Z Personally, my view is that it shouldn’t have been removed in the first place, since it still works and the task it performs hasn’t really changed. File formats and the related EXIF data are, I imagine, mostly “complete.” That said, is this documentation on the Tails website simply out of date? --- ## Post 13 by @anonymous595 — 2026-04-15T19:34:49Z It was pushed to FlatHub in maintained version now! > **[Install Metadata Cleaner on Linux | Flathub](https://flathub.org/en/apps/io.gitlab.metadatacleaner.metadatacleaner)** > > View and clean metadata in files --- ## Post 14 by @fria — 2026-05-14T22:32:39Z > [@U53R](#): > > [MetadataCleaner / Metadata Cleaner · GitLab](https://gitlab.com/metadatacleaner/metadatacleaner) Looks good, fully sandboxed and everything. I definitely think it can be added back. --- ## Post 15 by @fria — 2026-05-22T22:01:33Z Completed in > > > List of changes proposed in this PR: > > - re-add the Metadata Cleaner recommenda…tion to the data redaction page > - add the corresponding icon asset > > Related discussion: > https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/reinstate-metadata-cleaner/34815