Different questions require different evidence
An image result may show where a picture appears or suggest a visual resemblance. A background check concerns records associated with a correctly identified individual and a defined purpose. Combining these without verification risks attaching another person’s information to the subject.
Do not infer a record from appearance
A portrait may be used as an illustration. A page may describe several people. Names can overlap and source information can be outdated or wrong. Even a close resemblance cannot establish that a record belongs to a particular person.
Trace does not search official criminal records, authenticate qualifications or determine eligibility for employment, housing or credit. Do not use its results for those decisions.
Choose the appropriate route
For a qualification, use the issuing organisation’s verification process. For regulated screening, seek an appropriate provider and qualified guidance about the requirements in the relevant jurisdiction. Consent, permissible use and dispute rights can depend on the decision and location.
For personal safety in an online interaction, focus on behaviour, clear boundaries and independently verified contact routes. A private meeting decision should not depend on a supposedly clean photo-search report.
If information about you is wrong
Save the exact record reference and a description of the incorrect association. Use the responsible organisation’s correction procedure and track downstream copies separately. Do not post identity documents publicly to prove an error.
Our guides explain how to keep observations separate from inferences and how to organise correction requests. Trace’s current limited API test is a workflow demonstration, not a substitute for either process.