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PimEyes is a facial recognition search website that allows users to identify all images on the internet of a person given a sample image. The website is owned by EMEARobotics, a corporation based in Dubai. The owner and CEO of EMEARobotics and PimEye is Giorgi Gobronidze, who is based in Tbilisi, Georgia.[1]

History

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PimEyes was launched in 2017 by a Polish start-up owned by its creators, Polish software engineers Lucasz (also Lukasz) Kowalczyk and Denis Tatina.[2][3] In 2017, Giorgi Gobronidze, a Georgian law academic, met the website's creators at a university in Poland. He said he used the website for academic research.[3]

In 2020, the PimEyes brand was purchased by the shell corporation Face Recognition Solutions Ltd, moving the website's headquarter from Poland to Seychelles, a popular tax haven.[3][2] It was marketed as a cyberstalking tool to use on photos of celebrities.[4][5]

In December 2021, Gobronidze said he purchased the website from an anonymous owner, using a shell corporation he registered in Dubai that same month.[4][3][2]

According to a lawsuit filed in Edwardsville, Illinois alleging violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act, corporations legally linked to the PimEyes brand include Pimeyes Sp. Z O.O, Transaction Cloud, Inc., Carribex LTD., and Public Mirror SP. Z O.O.[6] Carribex LTD is based in Belize, and is used as the contact for questions about PimEyes' rules.[7]

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PimEyes has been the subject of legal inquiries and lawsuits in Europe and the United States. In November 2022, the privacy advocacy group Big Brother Watch filed a complaint with the United Kingdom's data and privacy watchdog.[8]

In December 2022, Germany's privacy watchdog opened proceedings against PimEyes.[9][10]

In May 2023, five plaintiffs filed a privacy lawsuit against PimEyes in Illinois.[6]

Criticism

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The German news site netzpolitik.org has criticized Pimeyes for its potential for abuse,[5] its moving location and queries by a German data security official,[11] the related service Public Mirror by the initial founders of Pimeyes,[12] its new owner and open questions by the German data security official.[13]

Privacy of children

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PimEyes has been criticized for the ability for users to search for children and the return of potential explicit material containing children. In October 2023, PimEyes launched age-detection algorithms blocking the search of images of children.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

References

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  1. ^ https://ge.linkedin.com/in/giorgi-gobronidze-0188b7a2
  2. ^ a b c Harwell, Drew (2021-05-14). "This facial recognition website can turn anyone into a cop — or a stalker". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  3. ^ a b c d Hill, Kashmir (May 26, 2022). "A Face Search Engine Anyone Can Use Is Alarmingly Accurate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Hvistendahl, Mara (2022-07-16). "Facial Recognition Search Engine Pulls Up "Potentially Explicit" Photos of Kids". The Intercept. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  5. ^ a b Laufer, Daniel; Sebastian (2020-07-10). "PimEyes: A Polish company is abolishing our anonymity". netzpolitik.org. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  6. ^ a b Nghiem, Andy. "Illinois residents allege facial image search engine violates BIPA". Madison - St. Clair Record. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  7. ^ Nash, | Jim (2022-11-08). "Complaint filed against PimEyes in UK as facial recognition web search options grow | Biometric Update". www.biometricupdate.com. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  8. ^ Vallance, Chris (November 8, 2022). "Stalking fears over PimEyes facial search engine". BBC. Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  9. ^ Morrish, Lydia. "A Face Recognition Site Crawled the Web for Dead People's Photos". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  10. ^ Meldungen, Gepostet von Pressestelle | 21 Dezember 2022 | Aktuelle; Datenschutz; Pressemitteilungen; Slider (2022-12-21). "PimEyes: LfDI eröffnet Bußgeldverfahren - Der Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Baden-Württemberg" (in German). Archived from the original on 2024-01-07. Retrieved 2023-12-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ constanze (2021-07-12). "Gesichtserkennung: PimEyes schweigt nach der Flucht auf die Seychellen". netzpolitik.org (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  12. ^ Lang, Rahel (2022-03-25). "Gesichtserkennung: PimEyes-Gründer mit neuer Gesichtersuche zurück in der EU". netzpolitik.org (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  13. ^ Sebastian (2022-05-27). "Neuer Chef: Gesichter-Suchmaschine PimEyes bricht das Schweigen". netzpolitik.org (in German). Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  14. ^ Hill, Kashmir (October 23, 2023). "Face Search Engine PimEyes Blocks Searches of Children's Faces".
  15. ^ Metz, Rachel (May 4, 2021). "Anyone can use this powerful facial-recognition tool — and that's a problem". CNN. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  16. ^ Harwell, Drew (May 14, 2021). "This facial recognition website can turn anyone into a cop — or a stalker". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Hines, Alice (February 2, 2021). "How Normal People Deployed Facial Recognition on Capitol Hill Protesters". Vice. Archived from the original on September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  18. ^ Mott, Nathaniel (May 27, 2022). "This Facial Recognition Site Is Creeping Everyone Out". PC Mag. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  19. ^ Wakefield, Jane (June 11, 2020). "PimEyes facial recognition website 'could be used by stalkers'". BBC. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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