Glossary · Privacy
Opt-out
In face search, an opt-out is a request to an engine to stop showing a person's face in its results, and usually to stop indexing it. Each engine runs its own process, typically a face photo plus some proof of identity. An opt-out affects only that engine; it does not remove photos from the websites where they are published, and it does not reach other engines.
Updated November 6, 2026 · 2 min read
What does an opt-out do?
It tells one engine to block matches of your face. Technically the engine stores an embedding of your opt-out photo and suppresses any result whose embedding is close to it, or deletes those entries from its index. Either way the photos stay on their source pages; only the engine's pointer to them goes.
What do engines ask for?
| Engine | What you submit | Timeline stated |
|---|---|---|
| PimEyes | Face photos, consent boxes, anonymised ID scan, email | Not stated |
| FaceCheck.ID | Search yourself, select photos, selfie capture or anonymised ID | Selfie route usually instant; ID route 1 to 5 business days |
| Lenso.ai | Opt-out form with a face photo | Usually within 24 hours on business days |
| FaceSearch | Email with a clear face photo and result URLs | Aim to confirm within five business days |
| Reversely.ai | Face photos, consents, anonymised ID, email | Not stated |
What does it not do?
- It does not remove the photo from the website that published it; that is a request to the site owner, or a DMCA takedown if you own the copyright.
- It does not reach other engines; each needs its own request.
- It does not stop a photo republished at a new address from being indexed again, unless the engine blocks by face rather than by URL.
What is the legal basis?
In the EU and UK, the right to object and the right to erasure under the GDPR and UK GDPR oblige a controller to act on a request, which is why engines operating there offer a route. In the United States no federal law requires it; Illinois BIPA prevents collection without consent in the first place. Engines that offer a free opt-out everywhere do so by policy.
Why is ID sometimes required?
To stop one person removing another's face, or to meet the engine's reading of the law on verifying a data-subject request. ID handling is itself a privacy question: engines that ask for a scan should say how it is stored and when it is deleted.
Questions
Does opting out of PimEyes remove me from FaceCheck.ID?
No. Every engine has its own index and its own process.
Will my photos come back after an opt-out?
If the engine blocks by face embedding, new copies are also suppressed. If it blocks by URL, a republished copy can reappear and needs a new request.
Sources
- 1.ICO, Right to erasure (checked November 6, 2026)
- 2.PimEyes opt-out form (checked November 5, 2026)
- 3.FaceCheck.ID, Remove my photos (checked November 5, 2026)
Entry reviewed November 6, 2026. Found an error? Tell us.
Related entries
- 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.
- Term DMCA takedown DMCA takedown defined: the US copyright notice that makes online services remove infringing material, what it must contain, when it applies to photos, and limits.
- Term Consent (data protection) Consent in data-protection law: what makes it valid, when it must be explicit, why a public photo is not consent, and why face search engines rarely have it.
- 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.
- Concept Opt-outs, removal, and the limits of both Opting out of a face search engine, de-listing from Google and removing a photo from its host: the legal bases, routes, timelines and limits of each.
Cite this entry
FaceSearch Wiki editors. "Opt-out". FaceSearch Wiki, updated November 6, 2026. https://facesearch.wiki/glossary/opt-out/