Biometric Information Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 27, 2026

FaceCheckNow (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to transparency regarding our use of facial recognition technology. This Biometric Information Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect biometric information in connection with our reverse face search service (the “Service”). This policy supplements our general Privacy Policy and is provided in compliance with applicable biometric privacy laws, including the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), 740 ILCS 14, and similar state legislation.

1. How Our Facial Recognition Technology Works

When you upload a photograph to FaceCheckNow, our system processes the image through the following steps:

  1. Face detection: The system identifies and locates human faces within the uploaded photograph. If no face is detected, or if the image quality is insufficient for reliable analysis, the search is not performed and you are notified.
  2. Feature extraction: The detected face is analyzed by a deep neural network that extracts geometric and spatial relationships between facial features (such as the distance between eyes, the shape of the jawline, and the contours of the nose and mouth).
  3. Embedding generation: These measurements are converted into a 512-dimensional mathematical vector, known as a “face embedding.” This embedding is a compact numerical representation of the facial geometry. It is a series of numbers, not an image.
  4. Comparison: The generated embedding is compared against embeddings derived from publicly available images indexed from the open web. Similarity scores are computed using cosine distance to identify potential matches.
  5. Original photo deletion: After the embedding is generated, the original uploaded photograph is automatically deleted from our servers. We do not retain the source image.

2. What We Store and What We Do Not Store

What we store:

  • Face embeddings: 512-dimensional numerical vectors derived from facial geometry. These are arrays of floating-point numbers (e.g., [0.0234, -0.1456, 0.0891, ...]) that encode the mathematical relationships between facial features.

What we do NOT store:

  • Original photographs: Uploaded images are deleted within 24 hours of upload, typically within minutes after processing is complete.
  • Raw biometric data: We do not store fingerprints, iris scans, voiceprints, or any biometric data other than face embeddings as described above.
  • Facial images derived from embeddings: Face embeddings are one-way transformations. It is not mathematically feasible to reconstruct the original photograph or a recognizable likeness of a face from an embedding vector alone.

3. Purpose of Collection

We collect and use face embeddings solely for the following purposes:

  • Performing reverse face search queries as requested by the user.
  • Improving the accuracy and quality of search results over time.
  • Preventing abuse and detecting fraudulent use of the Service.

We do not use face embeddings for surveillance, law enforcement purposes, or real-time facial recognition in public spaces. We do not use face embeddings to identify individuals without their knowledge for purposes of targeted advertising or profiling.

4. Retention and Destruction

Uploaded photographs are deleted from our servers within 24 hours of upload, and typically within minutes of processing completion.

Face embeddings derived from search queries may be retained for the purpose of improving search accuracy and preventing abuse. Embeddings are stored in encrypted databases with access restricted to authorized systems only.

If you request deletion of your biometric information, we will permanently destroy all face embeddings associated with your account within thirty (30) days of receiving a verified request. To submit a deletion request, please contact us at privacy@facechecknow.com.

We will also permanently destroy biometric information when the initial purpose for collecting such information has been satisfied, or within three (3) years of the individual's last interaction with the Service, whichever occurs first, unless retention is required by law.

5. Disclosure and Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell, lease, trade, or otherwise profit from the disclosure of biometric information to third parties.

We do not disclose biometric information to third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

  • With your express, informed, written consent.
  • When disclosure is required by law, regulation, or valid legal process (such as a subpoena or court order).
  • When disclosure is necessary to prevent or respond to fraud, security threats, or other illegal activity.

6. Security Measures

We protect biometric information using industry-standard security measures, including:

  • Encryption of data at rest and in transit (AES-256, TLS 1.2+).
  • Access controls limiting biometric data access to authorized systems and personnel only.
  • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
  • Isolated storage of biometric data separate from personally identifiable account information where technically feasible.

These protections are designed to meet or exceed the standards required by applicable biometric privacy legislation. We maintain a level of security no less protective than the measures used to protect other confidential and sensitive information.

7. BIPA Compliance Statement

In compliance with the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (740 ILCS 14):

  • We provide this written policy, made available to the public, establishing a retention schedule and guidelines for permanently destroying biometric information.
  • We do not collect biometric information without first informing the subject and obtaining consent through acceptance of our Terms of Service and this policy.
  • We do not sell, lease, trade, or otherwise profit from biometric information.
  • We do not disclose biometric information without consent unless required by law.
  • We store, transmit, and protect biometric information using the reasonable standard of care within our industry and in a manner that is the same as or more protective than the manner in which we store, transmit, and protect other confidential and sensitive information.

8. Consent

By creating an account and uploading a photograph to FaceCheckNow, you acknowledge that you have read this Biometric Information Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, storage, and use of biometric information (face embeddings) as described herein.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by ceasing use of the Service and requesting deletion of your biometric information by contacting privacy@facechecknow.com.

9. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about this Biometric Information Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights regarding your biometric information, please contact us at:

FaceCheckNow
Email: privacy@facechecknow.com