How to Opt Out of PimEyes (2026 Step-by-Step Guide)

PimEyes is a face-search service. A result can point to a public web page that contains a visually similar face, but a result is not proof of identity, consent, ownership, or wrongdoing. Provider coverage, matching behavior, verification, retention, and removal controls can change, so read the live first-party materials before uploading a photograph or identity document.

This guide focuses on an evidence-ready request: identify the exact result, understand what the provider says it can suppress, minimize sensitive disclosures, and keep the provider index separate from the original image and search-engine result.

Key takeaways

• Treat a face-search result as a lead that requires review, not as a verified identity finding.
• Use the current PimEyes privacy or opt-out route from the official domain. The current PimEyes opt-out form asks for a face image and verification; read its live scope before submitting.
• Do not assume that a request removes the source image, the host page, Google results, or another face-search index.
• A live route may request a reference image, email address, identity verification, or another matching step. Submit only what the current route explains and what you decide is proportionate.
• Keep request, verification, provider response, index re-check, source-page change, and search-result change as separate evidence states. No universal processing window or permanent re-indexing guarantee is established here.

What a PimEyes result can and cannot show

A face-search result may link an uploaded image to pages that the service currently indexes. The provider's current description should control what it claims to index and how it ranks results. A similarity result can be false, incomplete, stale, or attached to a page controlled by someone else.

Do not infer from a result that:

• the person in the source image is identified correctly;
• the source page is unlawful or exposes a private record;
• PimEyes has every image of a person;
• the provider stores a particular biometric representation or query history; or
• a request to PimEyes will change the host page or another service.

If the result creates an immediate safety concern, avoid contacting an unsafe source or uploading more material. Use a trusted advocate, platform safety channel, regulator, or qualified lawyer where appropriate.

Before uploading anything

1. Confirm that you are authorized to search the image and review the result.
2. Read the live privacy notice, terms, opt-out instructions, and any explanation of uploaded images or verification documents.
3. Decide whether the value of checking the result justifies sending a face image or other sensitive information to the provider.
4. Use the minimum image and contact details needed for the current request. Do not send a full identity document to an unverified address.
5. Record the date, exact result URL, source page, visible fields, and any false-match concern without copying unnecessary personal information into a third-party tracker.

Step-by-step request workflow

1. Review the matching result

Use an image you are authorized to use and record only the result pages relevant to your concern. A screenshot can document what was shown, but do not redistribute another person's image or sensitive information.

2. Open the current first-party route

Start from the official PimEyes domain or its current privacy notice. If the catalog route above redirects or has changed, follow the live provider navigation instead of relying on an old article, email address, or third-party form.

3. Read the request scope

Check whether the route offers access, suppression, deletion, objection, or another control, and whether it applies to a specific result, an account, a face-search index, or another layer. Do not describe the request as permanent deletion unless the provider's response uses that scope.

4. Evaluate verification

The live route may request a reference photograph, email verification, an identity document, or another proof. Before submitting, check the stated purpose, secure-upload method, retention, deletion, alternatives, and redaction guidance. A provider-specific requirement is not a universal legal requirement. If the route does not explain why a sensitive document is needed, pause and seek clarification.

5. Submit and save the evidence

Keep the request type, date, confirmation, reference number, exact result URLs, and provider wording about scope. A receipt proves submission, not completion.

6. Re-check the same layer

Use the provider's stated process as a follow-up reference. Re-run only an authorized, proportionate check and compare the exact result or URL. Do not convert the absence of a result into proof that every copy or source image was removed.

Source pages and Google are separate

A PimEyes request does not ordinarily give the provider control over the site hosting an image. If you own the image or have another valid basis, use the host's current privacy, copyright, account, or editorial process. If the source page has changed or disappeared, review Google's current outdated-content process or personal-information tools for eligibility.

Search-result removal is not source deletion. Record the host response and the Google response separately from the PimEyes request.

Legal and safety context

Biometric and privacy rules depend on the provider, processing purpose, data type, residence, territorial scope, exemptions, and available remedy. A face-search result alone does not prove that a particular law was violated.

• Illinois BIPA contains requirements that may apply to covered biometric identifiers or information. The provider role, representation, purpose, notice, consent, retention, and facts still matter.
• California residents can begin with the California Attorney General's CCPA guidance and current CPPA materials. A general article cannot decide whether a business, request, or exception is covered.
• EU and UK residents should use the relevant data-protection regulator and current provider notice. The UK ICO erasure guidance explains that erasure rights have conditions and exceptions; it is not a universal deletion guarantee.

For an active stalking, intimate-image, or physical-safety threat, prioritize a safety plan and qualified local support over a broad self-search.

Evidence checklist

• [ ] Confirm the provider domain and live request route.
• [ ] Record the exact result and source page you are authorized to review.
• [ ] Read the provider's scope, verification, retention, and redaction language.
• [ ] Submit only the request type and information you can justify.
• [ ] Save the receipt, date, reference number, and provider response.
• [ ] Re-check the same provider result after its stated process or a risk-appropriate follow-up point.
• [ ] Contact the source publisher or Google separately when their requirements fit.

Frequently asked questions

Is a PimEyes result proof that the person is identified?

No. It is a provider-generated similarity result. Check the source page and surrounding context, and do not publish or act on a match as fact without independent evidence.

Does a PimEyes request remove a photo from the internet?

Not by itself. A provider-side request concerns the scope the provider confirms. The source publisher, Google, and other face-search services may require separate requests.

Is identity verification always required?

The current route controls. It may request verification, but this guide does not establish a universal photo-ID or selfie requirement. Review purpose, security, retention, alternatives, and redaction before sending sensitive material.

How long does an opt-out take?

There is no verified universal duration. Use the live acknowledgement or provider response, then distinguish processing from a later index re-check and source-page change.

Can I ask for legal advice using this page?

This is a research and workflow guide, not legal advice. For a consequential biometric, safety, employment, housing, or harassment issue, consult a qualified professional familiar with the applicable jurisdiction.

OfflistMe workflow boundary

OfflistMe can prepare a user-reviewed request draft when the catalog contains a relevant profile and route. Catalog inclusion is not proof that PimEyes has your image, that a law applies, or that a provider will accept or complete a request. You decide what to submit and send it through your own channel.

Review relevant source-specific workflows in the OfflistMe directory

Related guides

• FaceCheck.ID Opt-Out Guide
• Facial Recognition & AI Search Privacy Guide
• Clearview AI Opt-Out Guide
• How to Remove Your Name from Google Search
• Complete Data Broker Opt-Out Guide

Sources and review note

The current PimEyes opt-out form describes a face image, anonymized identity-document verification, and an email confirmation step for excluding matching images from PimEyes results. PimEyes also explains that provider-side exclusion does not remove images from the original websites. Google's Refresh Outdated Content tool likewise updates Search results rather than removing a source page.

Reviewed August 26, 2026. Provider routes, verification, retention, index scope, source-page controls, and legal requirements can change; use the current official route and disclose only information you decide is proportionate.