Patent attributes
A unified search entity, which provides at least visual query based web searching and an associated mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, obtains, from a requester, a visual query including at least a first facial image. The unified search entity identifies, via facial recognition on the at least first facial image, an identity of an individual subject of the at least first facial image and/or at least a second facial image of the individual subject associated with the at least first facial image. The unified search entity obtains, from the individual, via the mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, a plurality of privacy preferences including a visual query preference. The identity of the individual subject and/or the at least second facial image are communicated from the unified search entity to the requester only if permitted by the visual query preference.
