2. A method of controlling access to visual query results, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining, by a search entity, from a requester, a visual query comprising at least a first facial image; identifying, by the search entity, via facial recognition on the at least first facial image, general web content, from web pages not under control of the search entity, the general web content being associated with an individual subject of the first facial image; obtaining, by the search entity, from the individual subject of the at least first facial image, via a mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, at least one privacy preference comprising a visual query preference of the individual subject of the at least first facial image, wherein the mechanism provides for an individual subject of the visual query to express the privacy preferences to suppress the requester from receiving a visual query result that is associated with the individual, for the requester not being logged into an online account of the unified search entity, or the requester not being in a social group of the individual; and for the visual query preference of the individual subject permitting the requester to receive the visual query result, communicating at least a portion of the general web content, from the search entity, to the requester; and for the visual query preference of the individual subject suppressing the requester from receiving the visual query result, providing the requester with one of an indication that the individual exists but does not permit the visual query of his or her facial image by a user not in the social group of the individual, and an option to invite the individual to a sharing group.
2. A method of controlling access to visual query results, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining, by a search entity, from a requester, a visual query comprising at least a first facial image; identifying, by the search entity, via facial recognition on the at least first facial image, general web content, from web pages not under control of the search entity, the general web content being associated with an individual subject of the first facial image; obtaining, by the search entity, from the individual subject of the at least first facial image, via a mechanism for expressing privacy preferences, at least one privacy preference comprising a visual query preference of the individual subject of the at least first facial image, wherein the mechanism provides for an individual subject of the visual query to express the privacy preferences to suppress the requester from receiving a visual query result that is associated with the individual, for the requester not being logged into an online account of the unified search entity, or the requester not being in a social group of the individual; and for the visual query preference of the individual subject permitting the requester to receive the visual query result, communicating at least a portion of the general web content, from the search entity, to the requester; and for the visual query preference of the individual subject suppressing the requester from receiving the visual query result, providing the requester with one of an indication that the individual exists but does not permit the visual query of his or her facial image by a user not in the social group of the individual, and an option to invite the individual to a sharing group. 3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifying comprises: identifying the individual subject by performing the facial recognition to compare the at least first facial image to a database of stored images linked to corresponding people, the individual subject being one of the corresponding people; and identifying the general web content by carrying out a term-based general web search on the individual subject's name.