How to blur your home on Google Maps
Some law enforcement officials say there's one overlooked measure that could help ward off burglars: obscuring their homes on Google Street View.
While the feature has existed for years, a growing number of homeowners are now choosing to blur their houses in online map images to reduce digital exposure, the New York Post reports.
It's an action authorities and crime experts suggest could help reduce the risk of becoming a target.
Ryan Railsback, a police officer in Riverside, California, said he's seen some residents take this additional step.
'The crooks are looking for new and innovative ways to victimise people,' he told ABC News.
'It's good for the public to be aware of that and counter what the criminals are already doing.'
Street View, a service of Google Maps, provides panoramic images captured by camera-equipped vehicles traversing public roads.
While it offers convenience for everything from navigating new neighbourhoods to browsing real estate, it may also give criminals an easy way to scope out potential targets, experts say.
Christopher Herrmann, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told ABC News that 'would-be thieves certainly want to scout their locations before they hit them,' using publicly available imagery to assess potential points of entry, spot visible cameras or alarms, and even identify valuable property visible from the street.
For those looking to conceal their home on Street View, Google allows homeowners or tenants to request a permanent blur.
Users can access the tool by locating their home on Google Maps, opening the Street View image, and clicking 'Report a problem' in the lower right corner.
A short form allows users to specify the area they want blurred. According to Google, once applied, the blur cannot be reversed.
'We'll review your report as fast as we can,' Google states on its site.
'If you entered your email address in the form, we may contact you to get additional information or to update you on the status of your report.'
Still, not everyone agrees that the tactic is foolproof.
Some warn that having the only blurred home on a block could have unintended consequences, potentially signalling that the residents have something worth hiding.
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