Latest news with #RyanRailsback
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
How to blur your home on Google Maps
As homeowners invest in high-end locks, alarm systems and surveillance cameras to safeguard their properties. 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
You can blur your home on Google Maps: Here's how to do it and why experts say you should
As homeowners invest in high-end locks, alarm systems and surveillance cameras to safeguard their properties, 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—a tactic 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 victimize 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 neighborhoods 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 signaling that the residents have something worth hiding.
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
You can blur your home on Google Maps: Here's how to do it and why experts say you should
As homeowners invest in high-end locks, alarm systems and surveillance cameras to safeguard their properties, 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—a tactic 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. 4 Homeowners are being urged to consider blurring their homes on Google Maps as a safety precaution to deter burglars who may use Street View to scout entry points, security systems, and valuable possessions. Google Maps 'The crooks are looking for new and innovative ways to victimize 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 neighborhoods to browsing real estate, it may also give criminals an easy way to scope out potential targets, experts say. 4 While the feature has been available for years, many are unaware that a permanent blur can be requested through Google by locating the property on Street View, clicking 'Report a problem,' and submitting a form. ltstudiooo – 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. 4 Experts like Officer Ryan Railsback and Prof. Christopher Herrmann warn that criminals increasingly rely on digital tools to plan break-ins, and blurring your home could make it a less appealing target. luckybusiness – '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.' 4 However, some experts also caution that having the only blurred house on a block might attract unwanted attention. Rafael Henrique – 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 signaling that the residents have something worth hiding.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Urgent warning for homeowners: Why you should blur your house on Google Maps - and how to do it
People will go to all sorts of lengths to keep their homes safe, from fancy locks to security cameras. But an expert has warned there's one thing homeowners are forgetting to do that could be putting their house at risk. Blurring your home on Google Maps could help to deter burglars who use the tool to learn about entryways, security measures and possible possessions, he said. And the simple tactic could stop would-be robbers from targeting your home. Ryan Railsback, an officer in the Riverside Police Department in Southern California, said he is aware of some homeowners already taking the protective step. And he urged others to consider doing it too. '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.' So, how do you go about blurring your home? According to Google, anyone can request to blur their house if they prefer that it appear that way on Google Street View. 'Google Street View cars capture images from public roads, which might include your home,' their website reads. 'If an image contains inappropriate content, or you prefer your home not be shown, you can request it to be blurred. 'Once Google blurs your home, the blur is permanent. Only the home owner or tenant is eligible to request a house blur.' To blur your home on your computer or smartphone, you must first find it on Google Maps. Open the Street View image that you want to blur, and in the bottom right click 'Report a problem'. Complete this form and then submit. 'We'll review your report as fast as we can,' Google says. '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.' The safety tactic of blurring one's home on Google Maps has been around for years, Christopher Herrmann, a professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, told ABC News. The simple digital fix could stop robbers from targeting a given home, he said, adding: 'Would-be thieves certainly want to scout their locations before they hit them.' When seeking online images of a home, criminals look for valuable assets worth stealing and any security barriers that may be in place to stop them, he explained. That includes identifying a home's layout and entrance, as well as the presence of a front-door camera or exterior surveillance system. However, the manoeuvre also risks backfiring – prompting burglars to wonder what you have to hide if you're the only house on a street which is blurred. A quick look along some of the UK's most expensive streets reveals that certain homeowners have already taken this step. Certain London properties in Phillimore Gardens in Kensington, Grosvenor Square in Mayfair and Knightsbridge have all been blurred out.
