How to Remove Hidden Data & Metadata from Video Files

Video files can contain a wealth of hidden data & metadata. Some is usually automatically inserted by the capturing device, and some can be inserted by the user. While hidden data & metadata are useful for finding files, they pose privacy and confidentiality risks when the files are shared. The hidden data often contains private and sensitive information, that if unintentionally exposed can cause the file creator and his organization embarrassment with possible financial and legal implications.

Since different video file formats are built internally in a different manner, and are usually extensible, there is no universal tool for removing all possible hidden data & metadata from video files of any type. A software must be designed specifically for removing particular hidden data types from particular video file types.

"Remove Properties and Personal Information" partially supports MP4 and WMV

Windows® 11 has a very limited built-in metadata remover - the "Remove Properties and Personal Information" feature. This feature supports nine notable file formats, two of these are video formats: MP4 and WMV. It can remove 25 native metadata properties from MP4 files, but it cannot remove XMP metadata. From WMV files, it can remove 28 properties.

Removing hidden data & metadata from multiple video files at once

BatchPurifier™ can permanently remove hidden data & metadata from multiple files at once. It supports multiple types of document, image, and media file formats, including three video formats: MP4, F4V, and AVI. It's an offline privacy-oriented desktop application for Windows®, and has a broad-spectrum of supported hidden data types. From MP4 and F4V files, it can remove native metadata properties and XMP metadata. From AVI files, it can selectively remove INFO properties, XMP metadata, and other hidden data.