Metadata

Metadata, specifically the metadata of digital content, can broadly be defined as “data about data”. More specifically it is the collection of information that helps to summarize the history and current state of various forms of digital information including but not limited to: email, cellular phones, social media accounts/posts, any digital file, and software applications. Metadata is often created as a direct result of viewing and creating other data, and is often done so implicitly and without the knowledge of the user. Metadata enables many of the features that users see in the programs, however it potentially comes at the cost of data privacy.