Google Street View Is More Invasive Than You’d Think—Here’s How To Reclaim Your Privacy
Step-by-step instructions on what you can do.
Technology advances have made the world available at the tip of your fingertips. Almost 100 percent of information on this planet is at the press of a button, including people’s addresses. This has left some people interested in looking up ways to reclaim their privacy, like figuring out how to blur your house on Google Street View.
We have all used Google Maps at some point to get somewhere new like a doctor’s office or restaurant, maybe even a friend's new home. So, having a tool like Google Maps is a great one to have, right?
There are actually some problems with the ability for anyone to see your actual home, up close and personal on the internet. The fact is that anyone, at any time, can see your home with uncanny clarity. Unless you have a criminal-like mind, you probably haven’t thought of how that can be used against you yet.
Why Some People Want To Blur Their Homes on Google Street View
When you pull up an address on Google Maps, you are essentially taking a “virtual” drive-by of that location. And if you can take a “virtual” drive-by of almost any place in the world, so can other people who do not have your best interests at heart.
The good news is that you are able to take control of who can and can’t see your home on the internet. This is called "blurring" your home. The bad news is that “blurring” your home out by filing a complaint with Google Maps is permanent.
It cannot be undone, once it is done.
It is best to consider both the good and the bad reasons for having your home being seeable or blurred on the internet. Below, we have listed both so you can make the most informed decision.
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Here are a few ways you can be taken advantage of through Google Street view:
Potential thieves can take a really close look at a potential house to break into, checking for vulnerabilities and easy access points into the home.
Stalkers can look inside homes through windows, in hopes of catching people unclothed or in sexual acts.
Businesses can see if your home is in “need” of something that they can solicit you for like windows and siding.
Google Maps has benefits too. Here are some examples:
While looking for homes to purchase, you can sometimes see the street view of the home before it was remodeled. It can give insight into the quality put into fixing it up, and if the sellers are being honest about improvements that have been made.
You can have a real-time look into a potential neighborhood when house shopping.
Having a visual ID of your destination is so much more helpful than just verbal commands when traveling to a new location.
The positive uses for Google Maps may not directly affect you (personally) at this moment. Keep in mind though, if you choose to "blur" your home, and then choose to sell it in the future, you will then be directly affected. (Remember, this choice to "blur" it out is currently irreversible.)
If you have concluded that blurring your home is still the best choice for you, we have the steps you can take to make that happen.
How To Blur Your Home on Google Street View (Step-by-Step Instructions)
1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Enter your home address (we're just using a Brooklyn apartment as an example).
3. Enter “Street View.” Drag the small yellow (human-shaped) icon that you can see in the bottom-right corner of the screen onto the map, so it is in front of your home.
4. Once your home is in view, find “Report a problem” and click on it.
5. A red box will appear, and you will have to center it over your home.
6. In the “Request blurring” field, select “My home.”
7. A provided field (up to 1500 characters) will appear and ask for additional information as to why you want the image “blurred.” Type in your reason (i.e., safety concerns).
8. Enter your email address in the provided field.
9. Check the required, "I am not a robot" box.
10. Click "Submit."
You will probably not be contacted personally by Google, but instead will get a letter in your email box that is similar to this one:
“Hi,
Thank you for reporting quality issues with a Street View image. We're constantly working on improving our imagery, and we're excited to share that every day we are driving (and re-driving!) in more locations all over the world.
Because of the volume of these requests, we may not follow up with you directly, but we appreciate your help in identifying this problem.
Sincerely,
The Google Maps Team”
Your request will take several days to complete. You should receive an email from Google when your property has in fact been blurred out. You can then go on the street view of maps and check it out for yourself.
Reasons Why Your Property Might Already Be Blurred
This could have happened to your property because of a few reasons:
Your landlord has chosen to "blur" their property.
The former homeowner requested it.
Your property was blurred in error (by a neighbor or Google).
Someone has actually done this as a “prank.”
No matter the reason, once this has been done to your house, (whether by you or someone else) it will stay that way indefinitely, unless Google finds a way to change this option in the future.
Always think wisely, and act wisely, before deciding if blurring your home on Google Street view is the best option for you and your home.
