diff --git a/bob/bio/face/embeddings/__init__.py b/bob/bio/face/embeddings/__init__.py
index aea7ea8f3dbaf257cfc78cfecc2a017c979812a6..b82afd2c82fe73f92e7d3a551cb508d2bceaab80 100644
--- a/bob/bio/face/embeddings/__init__.py
+++ b/bob/bio/face/embeddings/__init__.py
@@ -1,29 +1,4 @@
 import os
-import bob.extension.download
-
-
-def download_model(model_path, urls, zip_file="model.tar.gz"):
-    """
-    Download and unzip a model from some URL.
-
-    Parameters
-    ----------
-
-    model_path: str
-        Path where the model is supposed to be stored
-
-    urls: list
-        List of paths where the model is stored
-
-    zip_file: str
-        File name after the download
-
-    """
-
-    if not os.path.exists(model_path):
-        os.makedirs(model_path, exist_ok=True)
-        zip_file = os.path.join(model_path, zip_file)
-        bob.extension.download.download_and_unzip(urls, zip_file)
 
 
 # gets sphinx autodoc done right - don't remove it