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>Also, you should save files in simpler formats whenever possible. For example, instead of saving a text document as a .docx file, you can save the document as a plain .txt file.</p>
