Phase 8 · Face similarity · gated
§ 8 · Face similarity

Face similarity search · consent-gated

Embedding-based reverse image search across the open web. The platform builds a privacy-preserving facial embedding from an uploaded photo, never storing the photo itself, and surfaces visually similar profile images on indexed public platforms.

Activation requirements
  • Subject consent statement on file (re-affirmed every 30 days).
  • Operative tier or higher (per § 20 of the PRD legal block).
  • Jurisdictional whitelist matching the subject’s declared residency.
  • Embeddings retained 7 days, then purged. Original images never written to disk.

ShadowTrace gates this feature deliberately: facial recognition on public images is technically possible but ethically and legally fraught. We require explicit subject consent, jurisdictional checks, and a higher-tier subscription before enabling it.