Overview
facesearching ("we", "us", "our") operates a face search service that scans publicly available web pages for matches to a photo you upload. We built this product around a simple promise: privacy is the product, not a setting buried in a menu.
This Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. We aim to write it in plain language — no legalese, no surprises.
What we collect
When you run a search, we collect: (a) the photo you upload, used solely to perform the search; (b) the consent confirmation you provide before each search; and (c) basic technical metadata such as timestamp and request size for abuse prevention.
If you create an account, we also store your email address and a hashed password, plus a record of your credit balance and search count. We do not collect biometric templates, and we do not build a searchable index of faces.
How we use your information
We use your uploaded photo only to run the requested search and to return results to you. We use your account email to send transactional messages (receipts, security notices) and, if you opt in, alerts about new matches.
We never sell your data, we never share your photos with third parties, and we never use your images to train machine learning models.
Data retention and deletion
Your uploaded photo is deleted from our servers immediately after the search completes — typically within seconds. We retain only an anonymized record that a search occurred, for billing and abuse-prevention purposes.
Account data (email, credit balance, search history metadata) is retained for as long as your account is active. You can request full deletion of your account at any time by contacting support, and we will remove your data within 30 days.
Public sources only
Our scan only covers publicly available web pages that can be accessed without a login. We do not access private social media accounts, paywalled content, or anything that requires authentication to view.
If you believe a result incorrectly identifies you or points to content you want removed, the appropriate action is to contact the host of that page. We can also block specific URLs from appearing in your future results on request.
Consent
Every search requires an explicit, affirmative consent checkbox before it can run. Nothing runs automatically, nothing runs in the background, and we never perform searches based on inferred consent.
You must have the legal right to search a given image — for example, your own face, an image you own, or an image you have permission to use. You are responsible for ensuring your use of the service complies with applicable law.
Security
We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, hashed passwords, and strict access controls on production systems.
No service is perfectly secure. If we ever become aware of a breach affecting your data, we will notify affected users without undue delay and take steps to contain and remediate the issue.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].
We do not process personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you.
Children's privacy
facesearching is not intended for use by anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Searching the face of a minor is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account termination.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will also notify users by email or an in-product notice.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or your data? Email us at [email protected] and we'll get back to you within two business days.