Protect your privacy by asking Google to blur the images of your house visible in Google Street View.
In a few years, Google Maps has become the essential tool for finding routes. But with Google Street View, Google’s mapping app becomes formidable in helping you explore places you plan to visit.
Street View is a great tool for getting an overview of the environment around a potential vacation spot before confirming your reservation, or visiting the surroundings of the next home you plan to rent or buy.
But Google’s virtual navigation service can also be used by “stalkers” to allow them to see what your home looks like. Anyone who knows your address can go to Google Street View to see your home.
In order to protect your privacy, Google fortunately offers an option to request that your home be blurred in Street View images. Here’s how to do it.
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1. Go to Google Street View
Open your web browser, go to Google Maps, enter your home address in the field provided and validate by pressing the Enter key on your keyboard.
In the side column, click on the image associated with the address to display the Street View visualization. You can also drag and drop the little orange man displayed at the bottom right of the screen directly on the street of your home on the map.
Then move around Street View using your mouse to position yourself in front of your home.
2. Report a problem
At the bottom right of the Street View display, click the Report a Problem menu.
In the new page that appears, adjust the part of the image you want to see blurred (in the red frame) by moving the image with the mouse and clicking the + and – buttons to zoom in / out.
Then indicate the element of the image that you want Google to blur, in our case “My home”, and indicate in the field provided for this purpose information allowing Google to identify the home to be blurred.
Then enter your e-mail address, validate the Captcha and click on the Send button to validate your request. You will receive confirmation of your request by e-mail.
The Mountain View firm may also contact you to ask for additional information regarding your request. Please note: once the request has been validated by Google, the blurring of your home in Google Street View is final, with no going back possible.