The PicsOfMe Manifesto

The person in the picture deserves the opportunity to find it.

Every day, photographs capture moments that matter. Yet many of those moments never reach the people who appear in them.

PicsOfMe was created to change that.

We believe technology should make it easier for people to discover and enjoy photographs of themselves, while respecting privacy, individual choice and the rights of others.

These are the ideas behind our purpose, our technology and our principles.

Bringing people closer to their moments

Photography is part of everyday life. From weddings and celebrations to sporting events and time spent with friends, photographs help us remember experiences that matter.

But finding photographs of ourselves is not always easy.

Pictures may be scattered across different phones, held by event photographers or stored in collections we never get to see.

We believe there should be a simpler way.

PicsOfMe helps people discover photographs in which they appear, shared through participating groups and events. Instead of searching manually through large collections, users can receive relevant photographs through facial matching technology.

We are a picture delivery company. Our purpose is to connect people with photographs of their own lives, using technology designed to make those moments easier to discover.

Technology that works for people

We believe facial recognition can be used to provide a valuable service to individuals.

A runner discovering photographs from a race. A wedding guest finding a moment they didn't know had been captured. Friends receiving pictures from an event they enjoyed together.

These are simple experiences, but they can make a meaningful difference to how we collect and remember our lives.

Our focus is on helping people discover photographs of themselves through a service designed for that purpose.

Looking ahead

As photography continues to evolve, we see opportunities to make personal photo discovery more accessible.

Our ambition is to connect people with photographs of themselves through participating and authorised sources, recognising the rights of individuals, photographers and content owners.

We believe the future of photography should be about more than capturing moments. It should also be about helping those moments find their way back to the people in them.

Facial matching for photo discovery

PicsOfMe uses facial matching technology to help registered users find photographs in which they appear.

Users who choose to enrol provide facial images that are converted into mathematical representations, allowing the system to look for potential matches in photographs shared through participating groups and events.

Matching is limited to relevant participating users within the applicable event or social context, rather than searching an unrestricted database of individuals.

Its purpose is to help deliver photographs to the people who have chosen to use the service.

How matching works

A photograph uploaded to PicsOfMe may contain several people, including individuals who are not registered with the platform.

To look for matches, the system detects faces in the photograph and temporarily creates mathematical facial representations.

These are compared with the enrolled facial profiles of relevant participating users.

Where a match is found, the system retains information linking the photograph to the matched registered user.

Where no match is found, the temporary facial representation is discarded after processing and is not retained as a biometric profile.

The original photograph may remain in the relevant collection, including where it contains people who are not registered with PicsOfMe.

Privacy is part of the design

Facial recognition involves personal data, including biometric information, and raises important questions about privacy and individual rights.

Our system is designed for a specific purpose, with controls intended to limit which registered profiles are searched and what biometric information is retained.

People who appear incidentally in a photograph are not automatically enrolled in PicsOfMe.

We distinguish between the temporary processing of faces to assess potential matches and the retention of facial profiles belonging to enrolled users.

We recognise that temporary processing, as well as retained information, must be considered under applicable data protection requirements.

Recognising the limitations

Facial matching is not perfect. Lighting, image quality, camera angles and other factors can affect accuracy.

A photograph may not be matched correctly, and not every photograph of a participating user will necessarily be found.

We aim to keep improving the service while considering the privacy, security and practical implications of the technology.

1. Individual choice

PicsOfMe exists to help people discover photographs of themselves through a service they choose to use.

Facial enrolment requires an active decision by the user and explicit biometric consent.

We believe personal choice should remain central to the experience.

2. A defined purpose

Our facial matching technology is intended for photo discovery and delivery.

It is not designed as a general-purpose system for identifying strangers or monitoring the public.

We believe technology should be understood in the context of its purpose and actual operation.

3. Respect for non-participants

Photographs often include people who have not chosen to use PicsOfMe.

Their privacy and rights matter too.

Our matching process temporarily analyses detected faces, but does not maintain persistent biometric profiles of people who cannot be matched to participating users.

We believe the interests of people who appear incidentally in photographs should be considered alongside those of registered users.

4. Privacy and accountability

We recognise the importance of transparency, data minimisation, appropriate retention, information security and individual rights.

Responsible use of technology requires continued attention to how personal information is processed, protected and managed.

We recognise that applicable legal and regulatory requirements may differ between jurisdictions and evolve as technology develops.

5. Respect for photographers and content owners

Photographers and content owners play an essential role in creating the images that PicsOfMe helps people discover.

We respect their intellectual property and recognise that finding or receiving a photograph does not automatically transfer ownership or other rights in it.

Our approach recognises the rights and responsibilities of photographers, organisers and others who contribute photographs to the service.

6. Commercial integrity and confidentiality

We respect the intellectual property rights of photographers, content owners and technology providers, while also recognising the importance of protecting our own proprietary technology and commercially sensitive information.

We believe commercial confidentiality and responsible accountability can coexist, subject to applicable legal obligations.

7. Responsible innovation

We believe innovation should be accompanied by careful consideration of its benefits, limitations and potential risks.

Different uses of facial recognition should be assessed according to their purpose, operation and impact.

Technology designed to help individuals discover photographs of themselves should not automatically be equated with systems designed to monitor the public.

We welcome informed scrutiny and constructive engagement with users, photographers, partners, regulators and others interested in responsible technology.

We stand behind the distinction between these different applications and believe that innovation and individual privacy should develop together.

Our belief

At the heart of PicsOfMe is a simple idea: people should have a better opportunity to find the photographs that capture their lives.

We want to make that possible through technology that is useful, thoughtfully developed and respectful of the people it serves.