Science
Why You Should Blur Your House On Google Maps Before It’s Too Late
For some people, privacy is really important. By blurring out your home on Google Maps, you can unknowingly exercise your anonymity like some well-known people.
Strange scenes, such as a triangle-shaped skyscraper in Area 51 and a terrifying troupe of Billy the Puppets from Saw performing on the streets of St. Petersburg, have been photographed by the Google Maps Street View vehicle.
You can ask the company to blur out your house on Maps, even though Google automatically blurs faces, vehicle license plates, and pictures of nudity.
You can’t peer through their curtains because prominent figures and celebrities alike frequently use this approach.
However, not only the wealthy and well-known can ask Google Maps to blur out their house. It’s really very simple to get in on the fun if you want to.
How do you blur your home on Google Maps?
To do this, simply open the Maps app and input your home address.
You can click’report a problem’ on the program after you’ve landed outside your property. You will then be prompted by the app to explain why you are reporting the image.
Next you can choose’my home’ and’request blurring’.
To ensure that everything is blurred, you should then drag the box across your entire home, including any exterior structures or gardens.
Simply input your email address to verify the changes, and your house will no longer be readily visible.
“Google takes a number of steps to protect the privacy of individuals when Street View imagery is published to Google Maps,” the company said in response to the choice to blur out some people’s residences.
“We have developed cutting-edge face and licence plate blurring technology that is designed to blur identifiable faces and licence plates within Google-contributed imagery in Street View.”
“If you see that your face or licence plate requires additional blurring, or if you would like us to blur your entire house, car or body, submit a request using the ‘Report a problem’ tool.”
Should you blur your house on Google Maps?
If your home is likely to hold valuables, along with any security measures you have in place, obscuring your property on Google Maps will deter potential burglars, according to Ryan Railsback, an officer with the Riverside Police Department in Southern California.
He told ABC News: “The crooks are looking for new and innovative ways to victimize people. It’s good for the public to be aware of that and counter what the criminals are already doing.”
But in some cases, it might have the opposite effect, making burglars wonder what you have to hide if you’re the only house on a street that has blurred their property, cautioned Christopher Herrmann, a professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
He said, “It may be more of a red flag.”
Some people have turned to Reddit to voice their opinions because they are just now realising that you can remove your house from Street View.
“Not everybody likes to see you doing nice in life we live in a world of people wanting 5 finger discounts,” one typed. “If thieves have a option to look at a house without even being there I 100% don’t want to be a part of that.”
Another said that following “a number of break-ins and incidents around the farm,” their house was damaged.
At least you know you can quickly blur yourself out if you ever see the Google Maps camera driving down your street while you’re still in your pyjamas.
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