FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

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techmike
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FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by techmike »

This is downright wrong. I will have to be much more careful to blur serial numbers from any pics I may post in the future.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/201 ... l-numbers/
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Mr. Glock
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by Mr. Glock »

If you are surprised by this, well, not too bright.
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by JustaShooter »

This isn't what the article makes it out to be, folks. It's nothing nefarious nor is it targeted at guns or gun owners. Google / FB indexes *all* photos by whatever text is visible in the image. If a picture of a vehicle includes the license plate, they will index the picture by the license plate. If it includes a street sign, they will index it by the text on the street sign. And yes, if a picture of a firearm includes the SN, they will index the picture by the SN. But to find the picture of the firearm, you have to know the SN so it's not like you can find all Glock 42s with serial numbers between xxxx and yyyy or anything like that. And besides, if this bothers you, why are you posting pictures of firearms with the SN showing anyway? These are *public* venues, for crying out loud...
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by M-Quigley »

techmike wrote:This is downright wrong. I will have to be much more careful to blur serial numbers from any pics I may post in the future.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/201 ... l-numbers/
IDK how true it is, but supposedly the feds have software that strips away black lines put over areas of the pic or blurring put on pics.
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by Whirlwind06 »

I try to put a strip of tape or paper over the S/N. Don't always remember to do it though.
This goes back to the stories of people reporting a gun being stolen and claiming that the one in the picture was theirs.
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by Glock Rock »

Does anyone know of, or have first hand experience of a gun's serial number ever mattering to anything other than stolen then recovered?
This goes back to the stories of people reporting a gun being stolen and claiming that the one in the picture was theirs.
Has this ever happened in reality, or is it an urban internet legend?
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by JonasM »

M-Quigley wrote:IDK how true it is, but supposedly the feds have software that strips away black lines put over areas of the pic or blurring put on pics.
Speaking from the perspective of a software developer who wrote systems to allow lawyers to redact text, no, you should not worry about that. Under almost any circumstances, that is not possible.
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Re: FB & Google indexing gun serial numbers from pics

Post by Whirlwind06 »

Glock Rock wrote:Does anyone know of, or have first hand experience of a gun's serial number ever mattering to anything other than stolen then recovered?
This goes back to the stories of people reporting a gun being stolen and claiming that the one in the picture was theirs.
Has this ever happened in reality, or is it an urban internet legend?
Probably a urban legend, just recall this being a thing like 10 years ago. (covering the serial number)
But the less info FB, google etc. can gather the better off we our privacy wise IMO
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