What a similarity score does—and does not—tell you
Read a result as a visual lead, then check the original source.
A similarity score describes how closely two facial images resemble each other according to the search provider. It is not a percentage probability that the images show the same person.
Start with the image
Compare the visible facial features and image quality. Lookalikes exist, and lighting, pose, age, blur, or filters can affect the comparison. A high score does not remove the possibility of a false match.
Avoid judging someone’s identity, character, or history from a thumbnail. The photograph and the surrounding page may be old, incorrectly labelled, or unrelated to the claim you are trying to check.
Open the source
Follow the result link to the original public webpage. Check what the page actually says and whether the photo is shown in relevant context. A source URL is a place to investigate, not a verified account of the person pictured.
- Check whether the linked page still contains the image.
- Look for the publication date and surrounding text.
- Consider whether the website is a reliable source.
- Keep uncertainty visible when you record what you found.
If the page has changed or disappeared, the thumbnail alone is not a substitute for the original context.
Understand empty results
No matches does not mean a person has no online presence. Their photos may be on private pages, blocked from indexing, absent from the provider’s index, or difficult to compare with the image you submitted.
Repeatedly submitting the same photo is unlikely to resolve those limits. Review the photo quality and the scope of the search before deciding whether another request is useful.
Keep the limits in mind
Never use a similarity result as proof of identity or wrongdoing, or to make decisions about someone’s job, housing, credit, insurance, or other consequential opportunities. Read the Acceptable Use Policy for the service’s restrictions.
The walkthrough uses example results to illustrate the layout. A paid search uses the photo you submit and may return no matches.