Clarity Check, a facial-identification tool, left millions of face photos publicly exposed on the internet in a major privacy breach. Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered a publicly accessible database containing approximately 9,042,977 image files totaling 450.2GB of data. The exposed records consisted primarily of facial images stored in folders labeled "faces" and "profiles."

The service allows anyone to upload a photo of someone to carry out a reverse search across social media sites to identify them. While Clarity Check requires users to agree they have permission to upload photos, Fowler expressed skepticism about this policy. Many of the uploaded images may have originated from third-party sources such as private social media accounts and dating app profiles.

Fowler noted that the exposed photos and associated identities could be used by scammers to create fake social media posts impersonating family members in emergency situations. The company acknowledged ownership of the database and has now secured the data.

The breach highlights significant privacy risks associated with facial recognition services and the potential for fraud using exposed personal images.