Most of us are happy to share our lives online, but one thing you might not realize is just how much of your home is also up for public viewing — and it could be putting your security at risk.
If you’ve ever used Google Street View to look around your neighbourhood (or had a cheeky nosy at someone else’s), you’ll know how detailed those images can be. From front doors to security cameras, even the model of your car, it’s all there. And while this might seem harmless, police and experts are now warning that burglars are taking full advantage of this tool.
According to Ryan Railsback, a police officer in Southern California, there’s a growing trend of criminals using Google Maps to scope out potential targets before making a move. Speaking to ABC News, he explained: “The crooks are looking for new and innovative ways to victimise people. It’s good for the public to be aware of that and counter what the criminals are already doing.”
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It might sound a bit far-fetched at first, but not so much when you think about it. A burglar can easily pull up your house on Street View and see whether there’s a visible alarm system, how many entrances there are, and whether there are any valuables in sight. And this can all happen without them ever setting foot on your street.
Christopher Herrmann, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, pointed out how simple this kind of scouting can be for thieves. He said: “Would-be thieves certainly want to scout their locations before they hit them”.
“When seeking online images of a home, criminals look for valuable assets worth stealing and any security barriers that may be in place to stop them.”
How do you blur your house on Google Maps?
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Just head to your address on Google Maps using the desktop version (it doesn’t work through the app), open Street View, and hit the “Report a problem” button in the top-left corner. From there, you can request that your home be permanently blurred.
Google confirms this on its website, stating: “If an image contains inappropriate content, or you prefer your home not be shown, you can request it to be blurred. Once Google blurs your home, the blur is permanent. Only the homeowner or tenant is eligible to request a house blur.”
Of course, there’s a slight catch. Some experts warn that if yours is the only blurred house on the street, it might raise eyebrows among would-be burglars — possibly making them even more curious.
As Herrmann also puts it: “It may be more of a red flag.”
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Still, with break-ins thankfully on the rare side — fewer than 1% of households were burgled in 2019, according to data in the US — the risk is low. But for those wanting to add an extra layer of digital privacy, blurring your home is a simple step worth considering.