Blurry home image from Google Maps
Tom Zizka, business reporter at FOX 26, knows more about how to disarm your home when needed.
HOUSTON – For security reasons, more and more people seem to be pixelating their places of residence on Google Maps.
A popular online tool that many of us use is seen by some as a potential invitation for scammers. More and more people are trying to conceal their presence on Google Maps.
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While the number of burglaries has decreased, the concern about “crime” has not and some seem to believe that you can’t steal what you can’t see.
Houston tech expert Juan Guevarra Torres believes the idea of pixelating a Google Maps image of your home gives a false sense of security.
“I understand the concern; I understand what they fear, but I don’t think it does any good.”
That hasn’t stopped people from doing it. Walk through any neighborhood and chances are you’ll find homes that have been veiled from potentially prying eyes.
Google doesn’t say how many have done this, but it seems like a lot. The technology is similar to the automatic filters the online giant uses to obscure faces and license plates. The difference with homes is that it’s a request. It’s easy to do.
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To blur your home, find your property in Street View and click “Report a problem” in the bottom right of the screen. A new page will appear offering to blur an image. You will need to provide an email address and Google will review the request.
Some experts believe this move may have the opposite effect and draw attention instead.
“When you look at Google Maps, especially Street View, and find a blurry image, I think most people are curious and want to know what is behind the blur,” says Guevarra Torres.
Nationally, the Department of Justice reports that just over half a percent of homes were burglarized in 2021, the lowest number since the early 1990s. But while people seem to pixelate their images as a precautionary measure, cameras and security systems can be a greater deterrent.
One final warning from Google: Once a property has been obscured, the change is permanent.
