"Post a Picture of the Real You" thread and member safety

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You're right, reverse image search is not new.

However, people should be scared to share their pictures and personal information, particularly when it's documented that a user on here has been targeting people. We shouldn't pretend that the problem doesn't exist. People should make informed decisions.

On one forum I used to use, a user's place of work was phoned by another user and his work situation became difficult. On another site, a user went to great lengths to track down a user's Facebook profile, and sent rape threats to his sister.

As moderators, we have a responsibility to protect vulnerable users. Yes, we can't wrap people up in cotton wool, but that shouldn't stop us doing what we can to protect people and make it hard for the bad guys to win.

I don't understand why information can't be deleted on this site. On AC, I had to have my picture and user name deleted because of something that was going on in my life at the time and they had no problem finding it and deleting.

Reverse image search may have been around for a long time, but this thread is still valid information/advice because even in this day and age, there are some people who don't know things like reverse image search exists or how things like it can be used for ill.

Some older people may not always be aware of absolutely everything the internet can do or be used for, and even some younger people may not be aware.

Not everyone who uses computers or can get online is savvy about everything that can happen. I'm not too bad with this stuff but even I only discovered the facts about reverse image search in the last year or so. I had no idea. I know older people who have just about mastered e-mail but have no idea that the lovely prince who asked for help with some money transfers is not what he seems...

I don't know what reverse image search is.

is that where you put an image into google and it spits out results?

Yes, something like that. I don't even know how to do it, but apparently it's very accessible and as easy as a regular Google search. There are still people who don't know about it though, so, still a good thread to have in my view.

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/1325808?hl=en

That's a recent example of the technology, yes.

Okay, angela, imagine grumpycat there was a picture of your real cat
Now let's say someone didn't like your Trump cheerleading. You didn't share enough information about yourself on WrongPlanet and even your username is different here than on other sites, so as a last ditch attempt an obsessive troll does a reverse image search on your cat pic and finds out you use it as your Facebook pic and in a catlover's forum pic. The troll confirms from the public info you have on those 2 profiles match you and they begin to share your info or harass you in real life. And the cat, too.

Google Chrome has a power extension of reverse image search called "Search by Image (by Google)" , when installed any image on the web would gets a clickable camera at the button when you click, it will instantly do a reverse search and find where else this exact image is posted.

I personally use it to determine fake profiles on dating sites lol.

I've tried to find where I posted pics on WP by doing reverse search on the pics that I recall I posted here, but none found WP.....so I think I am safe, usually pics' host links get broken after a while.