PDF Metadata Wiper

When you create a PDF, almost every program invisibly writes information into it: who the author is, which software and version made it, when it was created and last changed. In an application, a quote or an appeal your real name may be baked in even though you never mention it in the visible text. PDF Metadata Wiper clears away this data trail.

The tool first shows you what is even in there. It reads out the standard fields - title, author, subject, keywords, creator, producer, creation and modification date - and flags whether XMP streams or custom properties are also present. So you see transparently which information you would currently be passing on.

Then you remove exactly what should go, or wipe everything with one click. XMP metadata, such as Adobe programs or cameras embed, is removed just like custom key-value pairs that some specialist programs leave behind. What remains at the end is a clean PDF with no telltale header data.

This is not just a matter of caution but also of the GDPR. The principles of data minimisation and data protection by design, Art. 5 and Art. 25 GDPR, argue for not sending personal details along in the first place when they are not needed for the purpose. An author name in a document meant to be anonymous is exactly such a case.

For normal files everything runs locally in your browser, your document is not uploaded. For very large PDFs there is an optional server mode. You decide which route a file takes. With a privacy tool that is precisely the point: the cleaning should not quietly leave your device.