Face search engine
Protevio
Protevio is a European reverse face search engine that compares an uploaded face with faces on public web pages and shows each match with its source site. It offers ten free searches a day, euro-priced subscriptions that bundle takedown requests and face alerts, a 48-hour free opt-out with ID verification, and a stated policy of refusing searches of minors.
Updated November 6, 2026 · 3 min read · reviewed November 6, 2026
- 10
- Free searches a day
- EUR 24.99
- Cheapest subscription, per month
- 48 h
- Stated opt-out turnaround
protevio.com, Nov 6, 2026
protevio.com/pricing
protevio.com/opt-out
What does Protevio do?
Protevio describes itself as an AI-powered reverse face search engine. It turns the face in an uploaded photo into a 512-dimensional vector, using the InsightFace buffalo_l model, and compares it with faces found on public web pages; each match is shown with the website it came from (protevio.com, checked November 6, 2026). That makes it a reverse face search in the same category as PimEyes and FaceSearch, with a smaller public profile and a European pricing and compliance pitch.
Two product choices stand out. The site says it does not search minors and shows a "Minor detected" block that stops a search, which few engines claim. And takedown handling is built in: paid plans generate takedown letters with timestamped evidence and send them from inside the product, with a concierge option where the company's team handles removals.
What does it cost?
| Plan | Price per month | Searches | Takedowns | Alerts and extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | EUR 0 | 10 a day, basic results | None | Multi-photo upload; no alerts, reports or history |
| Vio Search | EUR 24.99 | 100 a day | None | 5 face alerts, PDF reports, history, support |
| Vio Shield | EUR 34.99 | 150 a day | 100 a month | 20 face alerts, result management |
| Vio Shield+ | EUR 69.99 | 150 a day | 200 a month | As Shield |
| Vio Shield Max | EUR 149.99 | 150 a day | 400 a month | As Shield; marked popular on the site |
| Vio Concierge | +EUR 50 | Add-on | Handled by Protevio's team | Available with Shield plans |
| Vio Total | On request | Unlimited | Included | 500 alerts, deep search, API access |
- FaceSearch Starter 20 per month USD 5 a week, shown as four weeks
- Lenso.ai Starter 15.99 per month USD
- Protevio Vio Search 24.99 per month EUR
- PimEyes Open Plus 29.99 per month USD
Source: Vendor pricing pages, November 5 to 6, 2026; currencies not converted
How does the opt-out work?
- Step 1
Upload one to five photos
Front-facing first, other angles optional; JPG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB each; your own face only.
- Step 2
Upload a redacted ID
Passport, licence or national ID with everything except face and name blacked out.
- Step 3
Confirm and submit
Optional reason; confirm the photos are yours; accept the policies.
- Step 4
Removal within 48 hours
Protevio removes the face from its database and emails a confirmation; it says the ID photos are deleted after processing.
As with every engine, the opt-out covers Protevio's own database. The photos stay on the websites that host them, and other engines need their own requests; the opt-out routes directory lists each one.
What does the site say about data?
- Uploaded photos are "processed temporarily and not stored permanently" and data is encrypted in transit and at rest.
- The site states "GDPR compliant" without further detail; the privacy policy is the reference for lawful basis and retention.
- No company name, registration or country is stated on the pages checked, which is unusual for a GDPR-oriented service.
Questions
Is Protevio free?
Ten searches a day are free with basic results and no credit card. Alerts, reports, history and takedowns need a paid plan from EUR 24.99 a month.
Does Protevio search minors?
The site says no, and shows a block when its detector judges a face to be a minor. How the detector decides is not described.
How long does the opt-out take?
The site says typically within 48 hours, confirmed by email, after a photo and a redacted ID are submitted.
Where is Protevio based?
The site does not say. Euro pricing and European payment methods suggest the EU, but no company name or address appears on the pages checked.
Sources
- 1.Protevio home page (checked November 6, 2026)
- 2.Protevio pricing (checked November 6, 2026)
- 3.Protevio opt-out (checked November 6, 2026)
Entry reviewed November 6, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.
Related entries
- Engine PimEyes PimEyes, the best-known face search engine: what it indexes, what the free search shows, plan prices, how the opt-out works, and the regulator actions against it.
- Engine FaceSearch (facesearch.cc) FaceSearch (facesearch.cc): normal and deep search over the public web, a free first search, three paid plans, email removal, apps. By this wiki's publisher.
- Engine Lenso.ai Lenso.ai: an image search suite with a regional face category, Starter, Professional and Developer plans, Research Mode, alerts, API, opt-out and DMCA routes.
- Directory Opt-out routes for every face search engine Opt-out routes for 20 face and image search engines side by side: form or email, verification asked for, stated timeline, cost and link. Checked Nov 6, 2026.
- Law General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and biometric data GDPR and face search: Article 9 biometric data, the household exemption, territorial reach under Article 3(2), fines up to 4%, and the Clearview and PimEyes cases.
- Term Face embedding Face embedding defined: the numeric vector a network computes from a face, why same-person vectors sit close, how it is compared, and why it is biometric data.
Cite this entry
FaceSearch Wiki editors. "Protevio". FaceSearch Wiki, updated November 6, 2026. https://facesearch.wiki/engines/protevio/