Does uploading my photo store it somewhere?

With us it is stored against your report and you can delete it whenever you want. It is never added to any index. Ask this of every service you use, and read the privacy policy.

Which photo gives the best results?

Sharp, well lit, front-facing, with the face large in the frame. Glasses, masks and profile angles all reduce accuracy.

What does it mean if nothing is found?

That the face was not found in indexed sources. Coverage is partial, so it is not proof that it appears nowhere.

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Where are my photos published online?

If you suspect a photo of you is sitting on a site you have never heard of, there are concrete ways to find it and get it removed.

5 min read

Why it happens so often

A public profile picture is, technically, a copyable file. Someone else's photo is the single most common ingredient in fake accounts, content farms, ad creatives and dating profiles.

Most people find out years later, by accident. Looking beats waiting.

How to search

Use a sharp, front-facing photo where your face is large in the frame. Group shots, sunglasses and side angles make results noticeably worse.

Try more than one photo. Different years and different haircuts surface different results.

Getting it taken down

If you took the photo, you hold the copyright, and that is the fastest lever. Even if you did not, you have the right to object to your personal data being processed.

Start with the site's own reporting form. Every social platform has an 'someone is using my photo' route, and it is usually quickest.
If the site ignores you, send a copyright (DMCA) notice to its hosting provider.
Ask Google to remove the page from search results. That does not delete it from the site, but it stops most people finding it.
Under GDPR you can make an erasure request to the site as data controller, and complain to your data protection authority if they do not respond.

Looking once is not enough

A search that comes back clean today may not six months from now. You only see a new posting if you look again.

Common questions

Does uploading my photo store it somewhere?: With us it is stored against your report and you can delete it whenever you want. It is never added to any index. Ask this of every service you use, and read the privacy policy.
Which photo gives the best results?: Sharp, well lit, front-facing, with the face large in the frame. Glasses, masks and profile angles all reduce accuracy.
What does it mean if nothing is found?: That the face was not found in indexed sources. Coverage is partial, so it is not proof that it appears nowhere.

Search your own face to see where it appears, and set up monitoring to hear about new pages as they show up.