I Tried an AI Face Scanning App Called the ‘Most Disturbing Site on the Internet’ – It Searches for Photos of You That You Didn’t Even Know Existed

It has been described as the ‘most disturbing site on the internet’.

PimEyes is a search engine that uses AI to search for every face that is uploaded, so that any image of that person is found online in seconds.

I tried it out with images of myself and my wife – and it certainly provided a wake-up call. In both cases, images came to light that I didn’t know were online.

Perhaps the scariest part of all was when images of my wife appeared on Instagram (despite her profile being private).

This was the first image I uploaded – the results shocked me

Face search software has been developed by ‘Big Tech’ in the past, but Google’s Eric Schmidt described it as ‘too dangerous’ to release in 2011.

PimEyes, originally developed by two Polish hackers, has no problem with this.

TikTok users have used the technology to discover the identity of a cameraman at a Taylor Swift concert – and currently there are few laws in the US to target people using the technology.

Speaking to DailyMail.com, privacy experts warned that people ‘searching’ people they meet on the street could soon become an unwanted reality.

Rowan Cheung, founder of The Rundown AI, has described it as “the most disturbing AI website on the Internet.”

The Georgia-based company recently banned searches for children (this appears to have been effective, as it wouldn’t search for my son), but others have found that it still searches for images of young teens.

In my case, there were images of me at an awards ceremony that I had no idea were online.

For subscribers, PimEyes claims that the ‘deep search’ returns more results, but takes a little longer – while the ‘Safe Search’ option excludes possible adult content.

PimEyes is free to use, but requires a subscription for advanced features such as access to the websites you appear on.

Similar technology was used in the war in Ukraine to track Russian infiltrators.

Reports in Australia also suggested that police had approached PimEyes several times, possibly looking for suspects.

If you simply search for an image, dozens of photos of you will appear online, from a variety of sources (Photo PimEyes/Rob Waugh)

If you simply search for an image, dozens of photos of you will appear online, from a variety of sources (Photo PimEyes/Rob Waugh)

People “searching” passersby to find their social media profiles will likely become commonplace, warned Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech.

Bischoff said: ‘PimEyes claims that you can ‘find yourself on the Internet and protect your privacy and image.’

‘The idea is that by searching for your image with PimEyes, you can take steps to have those photos removed or at least prevent misuse.

‘In reality, PimEyes and people finder sites make it easier for stalkers, abusers and cybercriminals to find and target people without their consent.

‘While PimEyes has concerns from a privacy perspective, we must recognize that such sites will only become more common and better at identifying people.

“Taking a photo of someone on the street and looking up who that person is without their consent is likely to become a fairly common, if unsavory, practice in the coming years.”

The implications of the technology are extremely disturbing and could be exploited by stalkers, says security expert Javvad Malik, lead security awareness attorney at KnowBe4 on PimEyes, speaking to DailyMail.com

Malik said, “Imagine yourself on public transport, lost in your thoughts or perhaps buried in a book. Without you knowing it, someone across the aisle is taking a photo. Within moments, using a platform like PimEyes, they can potentially unearth a wealth of information about you: links to various web appearances, social media profiles, perhaps even your workplace or personal blogs.

“This is not speculative fiction; it’s a very real possibility given the power of facial recognition technology.

‘Despite PimEyes’ policy that it should be used responsibly – allowing individuals to search on their own or with explicit consent – there are no substantial mechanisms in place to prevent misuse. In this gap between policy and practice, concerns about privacy are increasing. There is a very real risk of stalking, harassment or worse because it is not clear what a motivated individual with access to your photos will pursue.”

Malik advises that people should be careful about taking photos public and posting them publicly – and advises that social media profiles be set to ‘private’ so that tools like PimEyes cannot search them for images.

He told DailyMail.com that the vast capabilities of ‘PimEyes’ highlight a critical need for guidelines for responsible use, transparency in operations and perhaps most importantly, strict regulations to protect the privacy of individuals. Although the technology itself is neutral, its application can have major consequences for personal privacy.

“The practical realities of how technology is used often diverge from intended ethical guidelines, underscoring a privacy nightmare in which personal spaces and anonymous existences are increasingly compromised across the digital expanse.”