Blur Your House on Google Streetview for Privacy

[bluebayou]

So apparently you can censor out your house on Google streetview by request, for privacy reasons: Blur Out Your House on Google Streetview

thoughts? has anyone tried this?

 

[Gmash]

Not sure how making your house blurry will protect your privacy, but okay.

 

[Bob Maxey]

Not sure how making your house blurry will protect your privacy, but okay.

Well, it will hide the terrible paint job and the need for new siding, I suppose.

My question is who really cares? Will some random search reveal your house and what is in it for the burglers? If I see your house, what does it really matter? Privacy is more or less a joke.

Not sure why it matters if Google shows your house--one among millions of homes--to the world. At least they do not show my hidden safe and the collection of Pez dispensers.

 

[MoodyBlues]

So apparently you can censor out your house on Google streetview by request, for privacy reasons: Blur Out Your House on Google Streetview

thoughts? has anyone tried this?

I don't see the point. And I'm VERY privacy minded. But this simply makes no sense. Anyone driving, bicycling, skating, or walking down my street will see at least as much as is shown on Google Street View, so why bother? I can't quite fathom that thieves are going to use Google to scope out random streets to hit, when driving around likely neighborhoods would give them much more info--like how busy the street is, how active the area is (like with gardeners and other workers, or homeowners out doing things in their yards), and so on.

Now that I think about it, not only does it not make sense to blur your house, but that probably would make thieves even MORE interested in hitting it. "Wow, they're so worried about us that they've chosen to blur their house...must be a good one to hit!"

 

[Rxpert83]

I don't see the point. And I'm VERY privacy minded. But this simply makes no sense. Anyone driving, bicycling, skating, or walking down my street will see at least as much as is shown on Google Street View, so why bother? I can't quite fathom that thieves are going to use Google to scope out random streets to hit, when driving around likely neighborhoods would give them much more info--like how busy the street is, how active the area is (like with gardeners and other workers, or homeowners out doing things in their yards), and so on.

Now that I think about it, not only does it not make sense to blur your house, but that probably would make thieves even MORE interested in hitting it. "Wow, they're so worried about us that they've chosen to blur their house...must be a good one to hit!"

Agreed. If it were a regularly updated photo that'd be one thing but the way it is now I dont see a point

 

[ScandaLeX]

They can come to my house. I have a lot of painting that needs to be done.

 

[SiempreTuna]

Also don't see the point .. Despite the fact the picture of my house is long out of date and it looks better now .. and will look even better in a couple of weeks time when we have the garage door sorted

Also, if you ever want to sell your house you'd probably want to get your house unblurred coz, I don't know about you, but the first thing I did when I was buying was go take a look on StreetView.

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Not sure how making your house blurry will protect your privacy, but okay.

I agree. Bluring out the house will do basically nothing for you're privacy.

 

[bluebayou]

if you're a high profile celebrity or business professional, that may be a different story however.

Don't want other people stealing my fancy schmancy mansion's architectural design! (ha, ha)

 

[mikedt]

Some people might not want the whole world seeing that their gardens are 5ft high in weeds and full of rusting wrecked cars, so only the neighbours and passers-by can see the squalar.

I recently saw the Victorian terraced house in Merseyside where I lived when I was toddler on Street View. A house I've not seen in over 30 years. Windows broken, boarded-up and empty. In fact the whole area looked like it had really gone downhill.

 

[rottweilerjim]

My sister & bro in law just bought a house and I wanted to see it as I was getting directions and oh boy! A tenant of the old owner was caught in front of the house doing a (guess) A FRICKIN' DOPE DEAL WITH 6 TWEEKERS! My sis demanded a refund + damages. Turns out the house was a hotspot on the cops watch. Yes I can see how blurring is necessary.

But they left it in tact for all to see. The house price went down $183k. I couldn't secure a VA loan quick enough and someone else got it. Damn it.

 

[Xieon]

It seems like they are just throwing the people a bone. I mean I can request it and in a sense get more privacy but what about recording everything and storing it in gisnt databases.

Its judt trying to appease soome privacy advocates

 

[sfbloodbrother]

Some people might not want the whole world seeing that their gardens are 5ft high in weeds and full of rusting wrecked cars, so only the neighbours and passers-by can see the squalar.

I recently saw the Victorian terraced house in Merseyside where I lived when I was toddler on Street View. A house I've not seen in over 30 years. Windows broken, boarded-up and empty. In fact the whole area looked like it had really gone downhill.

Wow, that's harsh. Not something you really want to see

 

[SiempreTuna]

Windows broken, boarded-up and empty. In fact the whole area looked like it had really gone downhill.

Funny you should say that: there's a famous theory about the affects of broken windows on things like crime in an area.

Basically, the idea is that an unrepaired broken window gives people 'permission' to let things slide and this leads to crime - though, I think the theory is actually states it the other way around, that repairing windows reduces crime.

Not sure that removing a picture from Google is going to help - I saw that broken window and was going to commit a crime, but now I've looked on Google ..

Personally, I don't see how blurring my house would enhance my privacy. For a start, the picture's from before I moved in

 

[Milo Willamson]

If someone does swing on by, and sees my own home, tries to follow gps right, they could wind up at a barn down there, besides no one in the history of time itself, unless invited knows where I am at..

 

[dontpanicbobby]

I think it's cool that Google even bothered going down all the side streets in my city. My house looks okay. The only reason I would think someone would blur out their home is if they were standing in the window naked when the Google mobile drove past. I wonder how I missed this thread years ago?

 

[mikedt]

Google never went down the streets in my city.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Google does seem to have issues with really powerful entities I guess. I hope they get over that.