You've probably used Google Street View at some point in your life.
Whether it's to find a friend's house or to get a better picture of some destination or another, the interative software has been incredibly helpful for years now since its launch in 2007. It's become an invaluable piece of digital kit for helping us navigate some parts of our daily lives.
There is no exact schedule that the Google Street View cars go on their tours. However if you're lucky you might be in the right place at the right time to be snapped in 360 degree glory by their kitted-out cars.
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Recently, Google have added a feature which allows users to go back in time and look at old versions of the streetview. This helped one man find an old picture of his beloved late nan, which melted hearts on social media.
Yet for some the thought of having an interactive view of their house on the internet, for all to see, is frightening. Even if it's an old picture, if the house or property hasn't been through any major changes then its likely the layout of the building is the same - as are the ways to access the building.
It could also suggest the financial means of those living inside as things like cars (though not licence plates) and other vehicles are all on show. In 2019, Richard Cooke, chairman of West Midlands Police Federation, said he believes criminals use the technology to "make their jobs easier."
Google has released guidelines for those who want to hide (or specifically blur ) their property from Street View.
How can I hide my house from Google Street View?
Many notable people including Tony Blair and Sir Paul McCartney have had their properties blurred and the way to do it is fairly easy.
- You first need to enter Google Maps (on the internet or on the app) and type in your address.
- Then you must drag the little yellow person from the bottom right corner and drop it in front of your property. You should then have a view of your home.
- Then click the three dots at the top of the screen and click 'Report a Problem.'
- A red box will then appear on your screen under 'Report Inappropriate Street View.'
- You should then centre the red box on your home, and select 'My Home' in the request blurring field.
- Next in less than 1500 characters give a reason why you want the image permanently blurred.
- Finally, enter your email address and hit 'submit.'
Google will then send you an email informing you that the reported image is being reviewed. You will then get another email later to tell you your request has been completed.
You can follow these steps on either Google Maps on mobile app or on desktop versions.
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