PimEyes
by PimEyes
PimEyes is a facial-recognition search engine that lets users upload a face photo to locate visually similar faces on publicly accessible websites. It provides source links and paid monitoring tools, but excludes social media from its stated search scope.
Why Abandoned
The PimEyes website is operational and continues to publish product and policy information. Its current pages advertise face-search, monitoring, and image-removal assistance services.
π΅ Pricing & access
- Pricing model
- Not documented
- Starting at
- Not documented
- Official site
- Visit PimEyes β
π©Ί Health Signals
- HTTP Status
- 200
- Response
- β
- SSL
- β
- Confidence
- 96%
- Domain expires
- β
- Last content change
- β
- Last tweet
- β
- API status
- β
π Timeline
PimEyes launches
Polish developers Εukasz Kowalczyk and Denis Tatina launched PimEyes as a facial-recognition search engine. The exact day and month are not consistently documented, so the date is recorded at year-level.
Public scrutiny expands
The New York Times reported on PimEyes and the privacy implications of making facial-recognition search broadly accessible online.
Ownership changes
PimEyes was sold to Giorgi Gobronidze, a Georgian academic and entrepreneur, according to reporting by The New York Times. The exact transaction date was not publicly disclosed.
New owner profiled
The New York Times profiled Gobronidze and reported that he had acquired PimEyes, drawing renewed attention to the service's accessibility and potential for misuse.
π Alternatives to PimEyes
Google Translate
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Perplexity AI
π’ActiveAI-powered answer engine that provides cited, real-time answers to complex questions.
You.com
π’ActiveAI search engine offering summarized answers with source citations and app integrations.
πͺ¦ Other dead Search tools
Waldo
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Scite
π‘Acquired / MergedScite is a research discovery and citation-analysis platform that uses machine learning to classify citation contexts as supporting, contrasting, or mentioning a claim. It also offers literature search and an AI research assistant.
Neeva
π΄Shutdown / DeadAd-free, AI-powered search engine founded by ex-Google exec that aimed to provide unbiased search results.
Casetext
π‘Acquired / MergedCasetext launched CoCounsel in March 2023, a GPT-4-powered legal assistant for case analysis, contract review, and deposition prep. The product gained traction with AmLaw 100 firms and Thomson Reuters announced a $650M cash acquisition in June 2023, closing in August. CoCounsel was rebranded as a Thomson Reuters product line and integrated with Westlaw. The standalone Casetext site is gone.
β Frequently Asked Questions
What is PimEyes and how does it work?
PimEyes is a reverse face-search engine. A user uploads a facial image, and the service compares it with faces indexed from publicly accessible web pages, returning visually similar results and links to source websites.
Is PimEyes free to use?
PimEyes generally allows limited searching or previews, while access to source links, alerts, and other features depends on its current paid plans. Pricing and plan limits can change, so users should consult the official pricing page.
Does PimEyes search social media platforms?
PimEyes states that it does not index social-media platforms. Its search is described as covering publicly accessible websites, although an image originally posted on social media may appear elsewhere on the open web.
Is PimEyes legal to use?
Legality depends on jurisdiction, purpose, consent, and handling of biometric or personal data. PimEyes publishes terms and privacy policies, but users remain responsible for complying with applicable privacy, stalking, copyright, and data-protection laws.
How can I remove my photos from PimEyes results?
PimEyes provides an opt-out process for excluding images from its search index and offers tools related to finding and requesting removal from source websites. Removing a PimEyes result does not automatically delete the original image from the hosting site.