For some people, privacy is really important—and one unsuspected approach to maintaining your incognito, like some famous faces, is to blur out your house on Google Maps.
The Google Maps Street View vehicle has photographed some unusual sights, including a menacing squad of Billy the Puppets from Saw on the streets of St. Petersburg and a triangle-shaped skyscraper near Area 51.
While Google automatically blurs people’s faces, automobile license plates, and nudity photographs, you may also request that your house be blurred out on Maps.
Popular individuals and celebrities frequently use this approach, preventing you from seeing through their curtains.
But it is not only the wealthy and famous who may ask Google Maps to obscure their property. If you want to join in the fun, it’s actually very simple.
How can one obscure their home on Google Maps?
All you need to do is open the Maps app and input your home address.
Once you’ve arrived outside your house on the software, click Report a problem.’ The app will then inquire why you’re reporting the image.
You may then choose ‘request blurring’ and then ‘my home.’
Move the box across your entire property, encompassing any external structures or gardens, to guarantee complete blurring.
To confirm the changes, simply provide your email address, and your house will no longer be accessible.
Regarding the choice to obscure certain people’s properties, the company stated, “Google takes various procedures to safeguard individuals’ privacy when Street View footage is uploaded to Google Maps.
“We have created cutting-edge face and license plate blurring technology that is meant to obscure identifying faces and license plates in Street View data given by Google.
“If you see that your face or license 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 obscure your home on Google Maps?
Obscuring your property on Google Maps can help prevent would-be burglars from figuring out if your home has valuables or security measures, according to Ryan Railsback, an officer with the Riverside Police Department in Southern California.
He told ABC News, “Criminals are seeking new and imaginative methods to victimize individuals. It is beneficial for the public to be aware of this and counteract what criminals are currently doing.”
However, Christopher Herrmann, a professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, cautioned that in some cases, it may have the opposite effect, leading burglars to wonder what you have to hide if you are the only house on a street that has blurred their property.
He stated, “It may be more of a red flag.”
Some people have only recently learned that they can remove their property from Street View and have turned to Reddit to share their opinions.
“Not everybody likes to see you doing nice in life; we live in a world of people wanting 5-finger discounts,” one of them wrote. “I don’t want to be part of a system that lets thieves view a house remotely.”
A second stated that their home had become hazy as a result of ‘a series of break-ins and occurrences around the farm.’
So, if you ever see a Google Maps camera traveling down your street while you’re in your pajamas, you’ll know you can blur yourself out right away.