While most platforms remove it automatically, you shouldn't rely on it. Don't do a McAfee

As a painfully oblivious layman, what is an exif data and how do I remove it?

EXIF data is sometimes appended when you take pictures and often includes things like the coordinates it was taken at (exact location), the device it was taken on, and some additional identifiers. This is, of course, bad for privacy, especially when posting online, as someone can accurately track you just from the image.

I found this article, which seems to describe how to remove it fairly well and does not appear to be sponsored.
- If you don’t care about reduced quality, you can just use a screenshot of the image.
- Though I think most platforms already strip it for you (or at least the really confidential stuff like location). That's what I noticed when uploading and downloading an image and comparing the data on different platforms.
  
  Edit: I should have read the title
Exif can also be removed via shortcuts on iOS devices

Example: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/2027b9d938e847029a636c6faa831a08

Number 15: Burger King foot lettuce. The last thing you'd want in your Burger King Burger is someone's foot fungus. But as it turns out, that might be what you get. A 4channer uploaded a photo anonymously to the site showcasing his feet in a plastic bin of lettuce with the statement 'This is the lettuce you eat at Burger King.' Admittedly, he had shoes on. But that's even worse. The post went live at 11:38 PM on July 16, and a mere 20 minutes later, the Burger King in question was alerted to the rogue employee. At least, I hope he's rogue. How did it happen? Well, the BK employee hadn't removed the Exif data from the uploaded photo, which suggested the culprit was somewhere in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. This was at 11:47. Three Minutes later at 11:50, Burger King branch address was posted with wishes of happy unemployment. Five minutes later, the news station was contacted by another 4channer. And three minutes later, at 11:58, a link was posted: BK's 'Tell Us About Us' online form. The foot photo, otherwise known as Exhibit A, was attached. Cleveland Scene Magazine contacted the BK in question the next day. When questioned, the breakfast shift manager said 'Oh, I know who that is. He's getting fired.' Mystery solved, by 4chan. Now we can all go back to eating our fast food in peace.

Oh, f*ck it. If you guys love the joke that much, I guess it can stay.

EDIT: This is no longer a special exception, copypastas are now allowed community-wide.
- It may be a copy-pasta, but it's a perfect example of what the post is about: dude does something stupid that puts the health of people at risk, and within 15 minutes both his local news and manager know about it thanks to the EXIF data on his photo.
~~Please avoid spamming/copypastas.~~
- Oh come on. This is directly relevant!
Don't fuck with the Burger King.

I just subscribed recently and this is already an extremely helpful tip for a normie. Thank you.

What happened to McAfee exactly?

Take a look at this article from Wired (which I would consider a reputable source).