how to send digital photos to friends privately

[GrayHare]

Does there exist a straightforward way to email or put online a photo, but keep its content private except to the intended recipient(s)? I found a number of pics of friends from long ago, ones I suspect these friends have forgotten about and might enjoy recalling. Though the content of these photos is IMO tame, the potential exists that some people depicted might not agree, so privacy is important. I am wary of emailing such pics to, say, a friend's gmail account since Google examines attachments, does face matching upon them, etc. I considered uploading the pics to a private web site, except if I email a link to that content, Google can crawl it for content. I've considered encrypting or otherwise obfuscating the photos, but the recipient will need to decrypt them, and some of the intended recipients are not tech savvy. I don't have a solution yet.

 

[njhowie]

You can use imgur.com. You mark the photos not to make them public, and then only you have the URL which you can forward to others. You can create an account on their site, or just use it as a guest - with nothing to do besides start uploading your photos.

Yeah, maybe google or others will crawl there if you email or send a link.

You could always use Google Drive and restrict/provide access that way.

 

[joesxm3]

If both of you have a protonmail account it will encrypt the emails. You can get a free a count. I think the url is protonmail.com

 

[DaveInMi]

Try the Signal messaging app. Has good reviews and recommendations regarding security. All content is on your and your contact's devices, not on a server.

 

[easysurfer]

Can you trust that the recipients will delete/shred the photos and not have sit on their devices? Otherwise, there's still the risk of the photos floating around (unless you don't mind they having them).

Others have made good suggestions (signal, Proton, encrypt). Quickest is probably encrypt and send. Also, if you are really concerned, can find a site that has a picture with view once properties. View one time , then poof, no longer viewable (of course someone could do a screen capture, I'm sure).

 

[Qs Laptop]

Google is going to examine photos attached to emails and do face matching on 50 year old photos? Really?

 

[RetMD21]

Signal's a good idea and easy. If they aren't willing to install Signal I would think they aren't concerned about security. Protonmail is fine but I think it is inconvenient.

 

[jim584672]

You could create a Word document and drag them in, export to PDF with a password. Call or text the password to the recipient. When it opens it will prompt for a password and they don't have to install any software.

Most word processor programs have the export to PDF feature.

 

[donheff]

Can you trust that the recipients will delete/shred the photos and not have sit on their devices? Otherwise, there's still the risk of the photos floating around (unless you don't mind they having them).

Others have made good suggestions (signal, Proton, encrypt). Quickest is probably encrypt and send. Also, if you are really concerned, can find a site that has a picture with view once properties. View one time , then poof, no longer viewable (of course someone could do a screen capture, I'm sure).

I wouldn't worry about the photos appearing all over the Internet because you emailed them. And I couldn't imagine trying to use Signal or other end to end encryption schemes with non-technical recipients. Bottom line: if the photos are amusing and you think your friends would like to see them, send away. If they are so questionable that your friends might be shocked or humiliated don't send them at all. As easysurfer says, they would be sitting on their devices where spouses, kids, or others might see them.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Anything on any internet-connected computer could be scanned. The most secure way in general to send something is offline, but to do it online as securely as possible would usually require either security by obscurity, meaning anyone with the link could see it but no one else is likely to know the link, or you would need the other person to create a secure login somewhere and then their password would be required to access the photo. If a link is secure enough for you, you could upload it to any cloud service (maybe not Google Drive, based on what you've said, but Box and Dropbox are other services with good reputations), send your friends a link, and then disable link sharing after a few days. You can also do something similar without an account using https://secrets.rcahearn.net/.

 

[COcheesehead]

I’ve emailed and texted a bazillion photos and never had an issue.

 

[marko]

I found a number of pics of friends from long ago, ones I suspect these friends have forgotten about and might enjoy recalling.

If you're that worried, print and put them in the US mail. (FedEx with a tracker if you're REALLY concerned)

 

[jim584672]

If you are super paranoid and not afraid to install some software this is how you do it...
-----------------------
GNU Privacy Guard
https://gnupg.org/download/
GnuPG allows you to encrypt and sign your data and communications.

OnionShare
https://onionshare.org/
OnionShare is an open source tool that lets you securely and anonymously share files, host websites, and chat with friends using the Tor network.

Tor Browser
https://www.torproject.org/download/
Tor, short for The Onion Router, is free and open-source software for enabling anonymous communication.
-----------------------
Both parties install these programs. Create your public key with GNU Privacy Guard. Share your public key with your friend. This doesn't have to be a secure channel, but you should verify that the keys received are the keys sent.

Encrypt your files with the public key of your friend. Also digitally sign it.

Open Onionshare and create a link to your files. The files will sit on your machine waiting for your friend to access them.

Send the Onionshare link to your friend. Have your friend paste the Onionshare link in the Tor Browser address window. It will copy the files off your machine. Your machine must be on and waiting when this is done.

 

[Sunset]

When the friends get the picture, if it's on their phone/tablet and even computer, it's very possible they have auto backup or similar thing that will save the photo's to the cloud.

The other day I tried Amazon's photo site for Christmas photos. It accessed my tablet photo's that are stored on Amazon. I had totally forgotten about setting that and was very glad to see I had no pictures of important information.

 

[USGrant1962]

I would zip them and encrypt the zip file. Then email it and text the password separately.

 

[pacergal]

>snip Though the content of these photos is IMO tame, the potential exists that some people depicted might not agree, so privacy is important. <snip.

bolded by me.
If there is any concern that one or more of your friends might not want to have these photos crop up again, I would not send them at all. Best be left as memories. Especially if you are that worried about privacy

 

[GrayHare]

Many good thoughts and suggestions here, thanks, all.

 

[Turbo29]

If you're that worried, print and put them in the US mail. (FedEx with a tracker if you're REALLY concerned)

Mail can be put in the wrong box or stolen. As for using FedEx if you are "REALLY concerned...."


FedEx driver went to ravine 6 times to dump hundreds of boxes in Alabama woods

 

[Sojourner]

You could create a Word document and drag them in, export to PDF with a password. Call or text the password to the recipient. When it opens it will prompt for a password and they don't have to install any software.

Most word processor programs have the export to PDF feature.

+1
This is the best idea for sending sensitive photos to non-tech savvy people. Everyone knows how to open a PDF or a Word doc and enter a password. No special software to install, and the photos won't be sitting on any public-facing servers.

 

[bltkmt]

Dropbox does this very well.

 

[Palmtree]

Skip the internet all together and burn the photos to a CD/DVD or thumbdrive. Then mail or FEDEX that to them.

 

[Aerides]

Can you trust that the recipients will delete/shred the photos and not have sit on their devices? Otherwise, there's still the risk of the photos floating around (unless you don't mind they having them).

More...can you trust that after you find the best way to transport them with no chance of a digital intercept, that one person in this group doesn't share them all on facebook defeating the whole purpose?

 

[sengsational]

If it were me, I'd put them on one of my google drives then share with specific people that also have a google account. But I've also just shared as "anybody with the link" if I didn't want a hassle of putting in specific emails. That has the risk of the link getting loose and the world discovering the photos, but based on the description, I don't think these photos will go viral, unless the photos are of a movie star.