Overview

• Google lets homeowners and tenants submit an irreversible blur request for their property on Street View through the “Report a problem” tool in Google Maps.
• Officer Ryan Railsback of the Riverside Police Department has endorsed blurring as an effective way to deter burglars from scoping entry points and valuables.
• Professor Christopher Herrmann of John Jay College warns that a lone blurred house on a street of visible homes may attract more attention from potential intruders curious about hidden details.
• Advocates note that visible Street View images help visitors and delivery drivers find homes more easily, creating a trade-off between convenience and privacy.
• Blur requests climbed sharply in June after outlets such as Hindustan Times and Daily Mail published practical guides on using Google’s permanent privacy feature.