One day, this may be you on the web.
If you have peeked at all at my blog, you will notice, my blog is boring and the only followers I have are pretty much some of my close friends. I am not a "professional blogger" and my opinions are pretty much boring to all the world, including my own little world.
A few months ago, I decided to take a peek at me on the internet. I wanted to see what was "out there" about me. To my surprise, I found out, I am everywhere on the web! I realized most of the information comes from Social Media. I can't ever get my privacy back. No matter what I do, close down Facebook, close down all my Google accounts, including this blog, close out my ancestry.com account, no matter what remedy you try, you will find that there is no remedy.
Once it's out there, it's no longer information that belongs to you.
So after googling me. I discovered my house was on the web. You can plug in my name, and there is a picture of my house. My current house and even old houses. You can see my vehicles, my backyard, including all the things in my backyard. Now, keep in mind, I have had several robberies of things taken from my car. My husband's tailgate was stolen off his truck (no, that's not a joke....someone really did steal my tailgate). My children's bikes (yes, plural) have been stolen out of our backyards. During my car thefts, I have had money, ipods and cameras stolen. Oddly enough they leave my GPS and the thousands of dollars worth of hockey gear in my car or truck. I suppose the hockey gear (skates and sticks, specifically the pricey items), is not something you would walk down the street with. But I am surprised the GPS's manage to remain. But 2 Ipod's have been stolen. This last attempt to break in to my car, was a failed attempt for them. They rummaged through my glove box, they rummaged everywhere looking for the Ipod that goes to the white Apple cord that was actually in my car, but since the Ipod came in the house with me now most days, they did not find it. However, they did manage to pop my trunk, (you know from that convenient button on your car that you push, then the trunk pops open).
So, here is my point....
Thiefs now can case out someone's house and your backyard from any computer with internet. Isn't that lovely. Isn't google so special to do that for them? I just want to give google one big huge giant hug!!!
I'm so sure, they are not the only provider of such information, but, let's be honest, the most common place people go to search is Google Maps.
So, I have a few blogs I subscribe too. One is the "survivalguy" blog.
Interestingly enough, this was a post that came up this week.
It's as if, others have come to the conclusion long before me, that this is a problem for homeowners. And yet a celebration for all the robbers and thieves of the area!
Here is a solution, that I felt needed to be posted. I get the impression, this is something you need to stay on top of. Meaning if you follow the steps, check back periodically to make sure new and improved updated photos are not on Google Maps for the whole world to see again!
Here is the blog. Word for word, I just copied and pasted!
You may also just click this and go straight to the source of the information that is provided here.
You may also just click this and go straight to the source of the information that is provided here.
Dear Editor:
A few years ago I blocked out the views of my house from Google Street View. However, I recently discovered that the Street View vehicle had taken updated pictures of my street, and my house was again visible, and in much greater detail! I was actually able to read my electrical meter from Street View and view objects inside of my house by zooming in on windows that were open. It also appears that the Street View cameras are much higher than the previous vehicle; based on the height of a pedestrian on my street, the cameras look to be at least 8 feet off the ground. So your 6 foot tall privacy fence may be mooted by the camera being able to peer over your fence.
I would suggest to fellow readers that they should periodically review Street View and other services, like Spokeo, to ensure that they are not being displayed for all the world to see.
I have noticed that in the last few months there has been an increase in suspicious activity on my street, and I thwarted a break-in attempt a few months ago - oddly enough, after the time the updated street view pictures were taken!! (thank the Lord I had a pistol on my person). A thief no longer needs to case your house out from the street - Google Street view does it for them!
To remove your home from Street View:
1) Find your address on Google Maps, and then zoom until the map flips from top-down to the 'Street View'
2) Center your house in the street view
3) Find the very hard to read "Report a Problem" text on the lower left corner of the Street View & click
4) A new screen should popup (a new tab for me, you may need to turn off a pop-up blocker).
5) Click "Privacy Concern", and then "My House" and then "I have found a picture of my house and would like it blurred"
6) Fill out the description field - I've cited recent theft attempts
7) Fill in an e-mail address - I would suggest using a fake e-mail address so that you are not telling Google what e-mail address lives at your house. (Side Note: Make sure your wi-fi is locked down, as they are probably sniffing this at the same time as well).
8) At this point you will see why we centered your house earlier - there is a red box around the center of your house in the image. Please note that you can adjust the red box from this screen as well, but the view is much smaller.
9) Fill out the word verification, and then hit submit
10) This is the most important step: you need to move the Street view up and down your street, and repeat this process from every part of the road that can see your house. I had to make 8 separate privacy submissions to fully block my house from Google Street View. To move the street view, there should be two or more white arrows on the road - click them, and you should see your location change.
- Nate in California
A few years ago I blocked out the views of my house from Google Street View. However, I recently discovered that the Street View vehicle had taken updated pictures of my street, and my house was again visible, and in much greater detail! I was actually able to read my electrical meter from Street View and view objects inside of my house by zooming in on windows that were open. It also appears that the Street View cameras are much higher than the previous vehicle; based on the height of a pedestrian on my street, the cameras look to be at least 8 feet off the ground. So your 6 foot tall privacy fence may be mooted by the camera being able to peer over your fence.
I would suggest to fellow readers that they should periodically review Street View and other services, like Spokeo, to ensure that they are not being displayed for all the world to see.
I have noticed that in the last few months there has been an increase in suspicious activity on my street, and I thwarted a break-in attempt a few months ago - oddly enough, after the time the updated street view pictures were taken!! (thank the Lord I had a pistol on my person). A thief no longer needs to case your house out from the street - Google Street view does it for them!
To remove your home from Street View:
1) Find your address on Google Maps, and then zoom until the map flips from top-down to the 'Street View'
2) Center your house in the street view
3) Find the very hard to read "Report a Problem" text on the lower left corner of the Street View & click
4) A new screen should popup (a new tab for me, you may need to turn off a pop-up blocker).
5) Click "Privacy Concern", and then "My House" and then "I have found a picture of my house and would like it blurred"
6) Fill out the description field - I've cited recent theft attempts
7) Fill in an e-mail address - I would suggest using a fake e-mail address so that you are not telling Google what e-mail address lives at your house. (Side Note: Make sure your wi-fi is locked down, as they are probably sniffing this at the same time as well).
8) At this point you will see why we centered your house earlier - there is a red box around the center of your house in the image. Please note that you can adjust the red box from this screen as well, but the view is much smaller.
9) Fill out the word verification, and then hit submit
10) This is the most important step: you need to move the Street view up and down your street, and repeat this process from every part of the road that can see your house. I had to make 8 separate privacy submissions to fully block my house from Google Street View. To move the street view, there should be two or more white arrows on the road - click them, and you should see your location change.
- Nate in California