People are censoring their homes on Google Maps for security reasons

Some US residents have decided to “censor” their homes on Google Maps to avoid attracting the attention of intruders. The protection strategy was reported by the police department of Riverside, a city in California.

Authorities believe that The strategy aims to reduce the amount of residence information available on the internet.By blurring their own home, the homeowner hides important features such as valuable assets, security measures, and even potential vulnerabilities.

Anyone can blur their own home on Google Maps. The process requires the user to find the address in Street View and request that the effect be applied to the location. Once applied, the censorship is irreversible.

According to Christopher Herrmann, professor of law and police science, method The ability to blur your own address in Google View has been around for yearsHe notes that this arrangement has the potential to distract criminals, thus preventing the home from becoming an easy target.

“Potential thieves will definitely observe the places before they go,” the expert said.

via Street View, occupants can observe the features of the housesuch as the location of valuables and home design. Street View can also be used to help plan these types of robberies.

Anyway, This strategy may have the opposite effect: Criminals may begin to interpret blurry houses as more valuable targets and focus on them for future invasions.

How to blur your house in Google Maps Street View?

The process of applying the blur effect to a home is very simple. To do this, you should follow these steps:

1. Search for the address you want on Google Maps;
2. Go to Street View and look at the property;
3. Click the “Report a problem” button in the lower right corner of the screen;
4. Next, choose what you want to blur: a face, my house, a vehicle/license plate, or another object.

Later on, You must provide your email address to receive updates regarding the request.The effect cannot be removed once blurred.

If the trend continues, it’s not hard to imagine Google Maps Street View becoming completely blurry in residential areas.