TL;DR: Start with a reverse image search of your main profile photos in Google (Search by image or Google Lens) to find where they're reused. Face search engines like PimEyes match your face across public websites; PimEyes lets you request that your face is blocked from its results, using a face photo and an anonymised ID. That only hides results there: the original images stay on the source sites, so ask those sites or Google to remove them.

👉 Free check covers your email in 30 seconds — full scan adds your phone number →

Why look for photos of yourself

Old photos get reused in ways you'd never agree to: fake dating and social media profiles, scam ads, impersonation accounts, and sometimes worse. Face search engines can also link a photo of you at an event to your name and social profiles in seconds. Knowing what's out there is the first step to getting it taken down.

Step 1: Reverse image search your profile photos

Use the photos you use most: your LinkedIn headshot, Facebook and Instagram profile pictures, dating app photos. In Google, search with an image by uploading a file, dragging it into the search box, pasting an image link, or right-clicking an image in Chrome and choosing Search with Google Lens. Look for your photo on sites or profiles you don't recognise. Our guide to reverse image search for fake profiles explains how to read the results.

Step 2: See what face search engines show

Unlike reverse image search, face search engines such as PimEyes look for your face in other photos, not the same picture. That can turn up group photos, event galleries and old blog posts. Be careful: uploading your photo to any such service gives it your face, so read its privacy policy first.

Step 3: Opt out of PimEyes

PimEyes has an opt-out request form. It asks for:

PimEyes says it will then block matching images from its results. It also says it can't remove the photo from the website it was posted on, and it may keep the uploaded photo for legal obligations. Other face search tools have their own processes, so repeat this for each one you find.

Step 4: Remove the source images

  1. Ask the site owner to take the image down. Most social platforms remove photos posted without consent, especially of children.
  2. Report impersonation if your photos are on a fake profile; see how to report a fake or impersonation account.
  3. Ask Google to remove results containing your contact details with its Results about you tool.
  4. Intimate or explicit images have faster routes; see our intimate image takedown guide.
  5. Use data protection rights in the UK and EU to ask for erasure; see GDPR rights explained.

Step 5: Set up alerts and reduce new exposure

Photos are one part of your footprint. Your email and phone number are the others, and they're what link a face to an identity. A free email exposure check shows where your email has leaked.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find images of myself online?

Reverse image search your main profile photos in Google (Search by image or Google Lens) and check the results for sites you do not recognise. Face search engines can find other photos of your face.

How do I opt out of PimEyes?

Use the PimEyes opt-out request form. It asks for clear photos of your face, an anonymised ID scan and an email address, and then blocks matching images from its results.

Does a PimEyes opt-out delete my photos from the internet?

No. PimEyes says it cannot remove images from the sites where they were posted. You have to ask those sites or use other removal tools.

Is it safe to upload my photo to a face search engine?

It means giving that service your face. Read its privacy policy first, and prefer reverse image searches of photos that are already public.

How do I remove my photo from Google search?

Ask the website to remove it first. Google removes results with personal contact details through Results about you and has separate routes for explicit images.

Sources

Related Reading