PimEyes used to identify anonymous porn stars

A 'digital peeping Tom' used PimEyes to identify the real names of anonymous porn stars whose films he had watched.

According to an extract published in WIRED of journalist Kashmir Hill's book Your Face Belongs to Us, 'David' 'was able to upload screenshots of women whose pornography he had watched and get photos of them from elsewhere on the web, a trail that sometimes led him to their legal names.'

'You find them on Facebook and see their personal pictures or whatever and it makes it more exciting,' David told Hill. 'It’s like the secret identity of Batman or Superman. You’re not supposed to know who this person is, they didn’t want you to know, and somehow you found out.'

The incident raised questions about PimEyes' multi-purpose nature, the ease with which it can be used to identify and monitor third-parties, and about the quality and effectiveness of its governance. It also led to further calls for the system to be banned.