PimEyes

2017

Launched, Poland

Company history, press coverage

$29.99

Cheapest paid plan, per month

pimeyes.com pricing, Nov 2026

2

EU regulator proceedings documented on this wiki

Cases below

What does PimEyes do?

PimEyes takes one photo, finds the face in it and compares that face with faces it has already seen on public web pages. Results are other photos in which a similar face appears, ranked by similarity, each tied to the page it was found on. It is a face search, not an image search: it finds different photos of the same person rather than copies of one picture (see reverse face search).

The company describes the intended use as checking where your own face appears, monitoring unauthorised use of your photos and supporting takedowns. The site asks users to search only for their own face. Press investigations, including Kashmir Hill's 2022 profile for The New York Times, have noted that nothing on the site enforces that instruction.

What does it index and what does the free search show?

PimEyes states that it indexes publicly accessible websites and excludes social media and video platforms. A free search returns a grid of blurred matches with no source links, enough to see that a face appears somewhere but not where. Paid plans unlock the source URLs, search history, alerts and, on the higher tiers, takedown support.

How does the opt-out work?

1. Step 1

   Upload face photos

   One or more clear photos of your face, several angles recommended.

   ›
2. Step 2

   Consent boxes

   Agree to the use of the photo for blocking, to the policies, and confirm you are over 18.

   ›
3. Step 3

   Upload an anonymised ID

   A passport or ID scan with sensitive fields redacted, following the site's guide.

   ›
4. Step 4

   Confirmation by email

   PimEyes blocks matches of the face from its results and emails the outcome.

The opt-out removes matches of your face from PimEyes results. It does not remove the photos from the websites where they are published, and it has no effect on other face search engines, each of which needs its own request. The opt-out routes directory lists every engine's process side by side.

What have regulators and courts said?

1. 2020

   German press investigation

   Netzpolitik.org reports on the index and the ease of finding private individuals.

2. 2021

   Baden-Wurttemberg data protection authority opens proceedings

   The German state regulator examines PimEyes under the GDPR.

3. 2022

   The New York Times profile

   Kashmir Hill tests the engine and documents its accuracy and its opt-out.

4. 2024

   Belgian Data Protection Authority order

   The Belgian authority orders measures against the processing of Belgian residents' biometric data.

The individual decisions are documented in Baden-Wurttemberg v PimEyes and Belgian DPA v PimEyes. The legal question in Europe is whether a face search engine processes biometric data of people who never consented, which GDPR Article 9 treats as a special category.