Science & Tech
Ariana Baio
Feb 25, 2024
content.jwplatform.com
Looking for someone online? There’s a website for that and it’s kind of disturbing.
PimEyes is a reverse-image search site that uses facial recognition technology to match every photo of a person that’s ever been posted to the internet.
After someone uploads a photo of the person they want to find, Pimeyes will scour the internet to match that person’s face to others.
Although it’s not completely perfect, it’s very accurate in finding the person you’re looking for - or lookalikes.
Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter
However, to find out the source of the image uploaded you have to pay for a plan which costs anywhere from $29.99 to $299.99 per month.
“I tested it myself and was shocked by the speed and accuracy. Super creepy,” Rowan Cheung tweeted.
\u201cThe most disturbing AI website on the internet.\n\nUpload a photo of a person, and AI will find ALL of the images of that person across the internet.\u201d— Rowan Cheung (@Rowan Cheung) 1677593120
Although it seems menacing, the purpose of PimEyes is to allow people to “reclaim image rights and monitor your online presence,” according to the site.
“Using the latest technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning, we help you find your pictures on the Internet and defend yourself from scammers, identity thieves, or people who use your image illegally,” PimEyes says.
Should a user come across their photo and want to erase it, they can set up PimEyes alerts that will notify them when their photo is uploaded somewhere on the internet.
Then working with a professional service, PimEyes will scrub the image from the source.
\u201c@rowancheung I like PimEyes. The tool is controversial - but it is one of the best tools for finding who has used my face without my consent. I then send takedown notices.\u201d— Rowan Cheung (@Rowan Cheung) 1677593120
Despite its good intentions, the technology has also become controversial as some believe it can be used for stalking.
\u201c@rowancheung the scary thing about this a stranger could take a picture of you and find out everything about you\u201d— Rowan Cheung (@Rowan Cheung) 1677593120
\u201c@rowancheung This is a stalker\u2019s dream\u201d— Rowan Cheung (@Rowan Cheung) 1677593120
PimEyes states in its terms of service that "if data security unit reveals abuse of service, such as stalking, violation of children's privacy rights, account will be banned permanently without right to refund.
Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
Top 100
The Conversation (0)