# Is there a way to search for images on Facebook?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-search-for-images-on-facebook/608227>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 3, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-search-for-images-on-facebook/608227 "2012-01-03T04:34:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-search-for-images-on-facebook/608227/1 "2012-01-03T04:34:22Z")

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I strongly suspect a relative of mine created a Facebook page using someone else’s photos. In other words, I suspect he perused a bunch of FB sites and found someone he wanted to “become”. He then copied a bunch of her photos onto his hard drive, created a new FB account using a fictitious female name, and uploaded the photos to his FB page.

Is there a way for me to find out the original owner of these photos?

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-search-for-images-on-facebook/608227/2 "2012-01-03T05:08:51Z")

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Other than using Google image search or [TinEye](http://www.tineye.com/), which search the whole web, I don’t think so.

Is there any reason you think it’s really your relative, and not someone who hacked his account? I had my unused Yahoo! Mail account hacked in exactly that manner–photos of some hot girl were added, and all my details were changed to say I was her. I was thus used as a spam bot.

Even if not, you can report a user’s profile as “impersonating someone” or “not a real person.” Look for a “Report this profile” link on the person’s page.

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**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-search-for-images-on-facebook/608227/3 "2012-01-03T13:17:22Z")

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Dig in to it. I almost hate to put a post like this in GQ, I think I remember a scary article recently in Forbes about the government using facial recognition programs to look for criminals on Facebook. I forget the details.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-search-for-images-on-facebook/608227/4 "2012-01-04T13:42:12Z")

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Google image search will do what you want. Here’s how to do it with an existing image vs text

[https://plus.google.com/112063946124358686266/posts/Byr4LCjHwWF#112063946124358686266/posts/Byr4LCjHwWF](https://plus.google.com/112063946124358686266/posts/Byr4LCjHwWF#112063946124358686266/posts/Byr4LCjHwWF)

If you have an android phone the free [google goggles" app](http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/#text) will do what you want.