Ever wanted to see if the Google Street View car caught you in action while mowing the lawn or bringing in groceries? Well, you may have noticed that faces and license plates are blurred in Google’s 360-degree imagery, but your house isn’t. While most of us use Street View innocently to plan our routes or virtually explore famous landmarks, some less savory characters can use it for their own gain.
According to security experts at ADT, criminals can use Street View to identify where parcels are left by couriers or even plan break-ins. To protect your privacy and home, it’s important to ask Google to blur your house. Michele Bennett, General Manager at ADT UK&I Subscriber, emphasized the importance of this, stating that having an unblurred house can potentially alert thieves to the contents of your home and make you more vulnerable to robbery.
To request Google to blur your home, simply follow these steps provided by Google Maps Help:
1. Open Google Maps
2. Find and open the 360 photo that violates Google Maps image acceptance and privacy policies
3. Click “report a problem” in the bottom right
4. Complete the form
5. Click “Submit”
Google will review your report promptly and may contact you for additional information if needed. Remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your privacy and home from potential burglaries.