Brave Strips Hidden Meta Tags From Facebook Photos
Brave's desktop browser now removes a Meta identifier embedded in the IPTC metadata of Facebook and Instagram images before download.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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Brave has added a desktop feature, available starting with version 1.98, that strips a hidden identifier beginning with FBMD from photos on Facebook and Instagram. The marker is stored in the IPTC "Special Instructions" field of image files.
Why it matters
The FBMD value was found in 2019 to persist after a photo was saved and re-uploaded by another user, and Brave found it still present in July 2026. Whether Meta uses the identifier to connect accounts remains unconfirmed, and Meta's purpose for it has not been publicly documented.
Brave's changelog places the feature in version 1.98.60, and the browser removes the FBMD value from the IPTC "Special Instructions" field before an image download finishes, sending uploads with a cleaned copy while leaving the original file intact. What the marker does on Meta's side has not been confirmed.
The players
Meta
Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, whose platforms are the source of the FBMD identifier described in the story.
Brave
Brave is a privacy-focused web browser that added the feature to remove the Meta identifier from photos on desktop.
The details
The IPTC metadata standard, used by publishers and photographers to embed captions, credits and copyright details, carries the FBMD value that Facebook photos can retain. Brave says the browser strips it so that saved images can be shared without that tag, and plans to bring the feature to Android and iOS and to add controls for location, device and timestamp metadata.
Timeline
2019: IPTC found the FBMD value persisted after one Facebook user saved a photo and another uploaded it.
July 2026: Brave repeated the test and found the identifier was still present.
Brave desktop version 1.98: feature first becomes available to desktop users.
The Tech Race
The FBMD identifier sits inside the IPTC "Special Instructions" field, a field designed for publishers and photographers to record captions and credits, and Brave's removal of it shows browsers competing to strip platform-added tracking from that standard. The move places Brave's privacy positioning against platforms that embed identifiers in files users download.
Users who save and share Facebook or Instagram photos through Brave on desktop from version 1.98 onward will not pass along the FBMD identifier in those files. Uploads through Brave send a cleaned copy while the original file stays on the device.
The takeaway
Hidden identifiers can travel with image files long after they are posted, so checking what a browser or tool removes from photos before sharing can limit unintended linking across accounts.
Further reading
Explore more on Cybersecurity to see how browsers and platforms handle hidden data in shared files.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CyberInsider.
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