Are You in a Facial Recognition Database?

How to check Clearview AI, PimEyes, FaceCheck.ID, and your state DMV, and what you can do about it.

Computer screens displaying data and code in a dark room

TL;DR: Your face is probably in multiple databases right now. Clearview AI has scraped over 40 billion photos from social media. PimEyes indexes the public web. Your state DMV likely shares its database with police. Most people have no idea. This guide shows you how to check the major databases, understand your state's opt-out rights, and submit deletion requests where possible. Spoiler: some databases won't let you check without giving them more data.

The Uncomfortable Reality

If you've ever posted a photo online, you're probably in a facial recognition database. Maybe several.

Clearview AI has scraped over 40 billion photos from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and news sites.[1] PimEyes crawls the open web. FaceCheck.ID indexes social media and mugshot databases. And 37 states use facial recognition in their DMV systems, 26 of which let law enforcement search those photos.[2]

Angela Lipps spent five months in a North Dakota jail because Clearview AI matched her face to a bank fraud suspect 1,000 miles away.[3] She'd never been to North Dakota. The algorithm was wrong. She lost her house, her car, and her dog before anyone checked.

So yeah, knowing what databases hold your face matters.

Clearview AI: The Big One

Clearview is the database police use. Over 3,100 law enforcement agencies in the US have accounts. They've scraped billions of photos from social media, news sites, and anywhere else faces appear online.[1]

Can you check if you're in it?

Sort of. Clearview doesn't let you search their database directly. But if you live in certain states, you can submit a data access request to see what they have on you.

How to submit an opt-out request

  1. Go to clearview.ai/privacy-and-requests
  2. Select your state (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Utah, or Virginia)
  3. Choose "Access My Information" or "Delete My Information"
  4. Enter your email address
  5. Upload a clear photo of your face
  6. Complete the verification (check the "I'm not a robot" box)
  7. Confirm via the email they send you

You can also email [email protected] directly.[4]

The catch

To see if they have your face, you have to give them... your face. They claim they won't add opt-out photos to their database, but you're trusting the company that scraped 40 billion photos without consent.

Also, opt-out only works for residents of states with biometric privacy laws. If you're in Texas, Florida, or most other states? No opt-out right exists.

PimEyes: The One You Can Actually Search

PimEyes is a commercial facial recognition search engine anyone can use. Upload a photo, and it searches the public web for matches.[5]

How to check if you're indexed

  1. Go to pimeyes.com
  2. Upload a clear photo of your face
  3. Wait for search results

What you'll see

The free tier shows you blurred matches. You can see that your face appears somewhere, but not exactly where. To get actual source links, you need to pay.

PimEyes has been criticized for enabling stalking. In response, they've added some restrictions, but the core service remains: upload a face, find where it appears online.

How to opt out

PimEyes offers an "Opt-Out" page where you can request removal from their index. You'll need to submit a photo and verify your identity. Their PROtect plan ($30/month) lets you set up monitoring alerts and request takedowns of images found.[5]

FaceCheck.ID: The Mugshot Hunter

FaceCheck.ID is another facial recognition search engine, but with a darker focus. It specifically indexes mugshots, sex offender registries, and news articles about suspects.[6]

How to check

  1. Go to facecheck.id
  2. Upload a photo
  3. Review results (free to see matches, pay with crypto to get source links)

What it searches

Social media profiles, blogs, news sites, mugshot databases, and sex offender registries. If someone with your face was ever arrested and their mugshot published online, FaceCheck.ID will probably find it.

The accuracy warning

FaceCheck.ID itself warns: "Many unrelated people look alike." Low-quality photos, weird angles, or partial face coverage produce unreliable results. Don't assume a match means anything definitive.

Your State DMV Database

This is the one most people forget. Your driver's license photo goes into a state database. In most states, law enforcement can search it using facial recognition.[2]

Which states share DMV photos with police?

26 states allow law enforcement access to DMV facial recognition databases. That includes California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Illinois. Federal agencies like ICE have reportedly searched these databases too.[7]

Can you opt out?

Generally, no. If you want a driver's license, you submit a photo. That photo goes in the system. Most states don't offer a facial recognition opt-out.

Virginia exception: Virginia's Consumer Data Protection Act lets residents request information about how their biometric data is used and opt out of certain processing. You can submit requests through the state AG's website or directly to agencies.[8]

The federal angle

The Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) restricts who can access your DMV records, but it has 14 exemptions, including one for law enforcement. Congress hasn't updated it to address facial recognition specifically.[9]

Your Rights by State

Your ability to check and delete facial recognition data depends entirely on where you live.

State Biometric Law Private Company Opt-Out Police Use Regulated
Illinois BIPA (strongest) Yes - can sue Exempt from BIPA
California CCPA/CPRA Yes - delete requests No
Virginia VCDPA Yes - delete requests New law July 2026
Colorado CPA Yes - delete requests Limited
Texas CUBI Limited - AG enforcement No
Washington Biometric law Consent required No
Most other states None No No

For a complete breakdown, see our State Biometric Privacy Laws Guide.

What You Can Actually Do

1. Check the Searchable Databases

Use PimEyes and FaceCheck.ID to see what's publicly indexed. At least you'll know what's out there.

2. Submit Opt-Out Requests

If you're in Illinois, California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, or Utah, submit deletion requests to Clearview AI and any other services you find.

3. Audit Your Social Media

Every public photo you've posted is potential scraping material. Consider making accounts private or removing old photos.

4. Use Data Removal Services

Services like DeleteMe or Incogni can help remove your photos from people-search sites that feed into these databases.

The Limits of Opting Out

Even if you delete everything, you can't fully escape. Your face has been photographed by:

  • Other people's phones (you're in their photos)
  • Security cameras everywhere you've walked
  • News articles if you've ever been in the background of a crowd
  • Your DMV, passport office, employer badges, school IDs

Facial recognition scrapes the entire internet. You can reduce your exposure. You can't eliminate it.

That's why the real solution isn't individual opt-outs. It's banning the technology, like Illinois is considering with HB 5521, or like Portland, Oregon already did for police use.

References

  1. ACLU - Clearview AI Settlement (May 2022)
  2. NILC - Protecting State Driver's License Information
  3. CNN - Tennessee woman arrested after facial recognition failure (March 29, 2026)
  4. DeleteMe - Clearview AI Opt-Out Guide
  5. PimEyes - Face Recognition Search Engine
  6. FaceCheck.ID - Reverse Image Face Search
  7. NPR - ICE Uses Facial Recognition on State Driver's License Records (2019)
  8. WMRA - How Virginians Can Opt Out (2024)
  9. EPIC - Driver's Privacy Protection Act

Published: March 30, 2026