Smart & Connected Life > Connected Car Tech 61 61 people found this article helpful How Criminals Use Google Street View to Case the Joint Blur your home on public maps to protect your safety By Andy O'Donnell Andy O'Donnell Writer Auburn University Andy O'Donnell, MA, is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and a senior security engineer who is active in internet and network security. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 8, 2020 Connected Car Tech Navigation Android Auto Apple CarPlay Trending Videos Close this video player Criminals launch Google Maps or Bing Maps, punch in an address, turn on Street View, and check out a residence or building of interest to perform virtual reconnaissance. The data isn't close to real-time and can be stale for some areas, but most major buildings aren't going to change a lot over a short period of time. Usually, the map data is time-stamped at the bottom of the image, so the bad guys know exactly when the image was taken. Adverse Uses of Street Maps Ill-intentioned people use Google Maps and Bing Maps to: Locate entrances to buildingsDetermine locations of security cameras, gates, etcFind good hiding placesFind holes or weak spots in perimeter fencesLocate utility boxes (power, water, gas)See what make, model, and color of vehicle a building occupant or resident drivesSee if locks, guards, dogs, etc., are normally presentMeasure distances between objects (using Google Earth) to determine how quickly it would take to run or drive from one point to another. Using Street View creates a lot less suspicion than if they were to actually visit the site and stand in the middle of the road for a look-see. Although mapping cars won't drive up a private drive, if the building is on or near a public street, it is fair. Google Maps is also supposed to automatically obscure (blur) text on buildings, license plates, people's faces, etc. However, even without those tidbits of data, there is still a lot of useful information provided through Street View. How Can You Prevent Your Home or Business From Being Seen Request to have your home, car, etc., removed from Google Maps Street View or Bing Maps Streetside View by using the "report a problem" link on the page when the image is centered on your home or business. You'll have to answer several questions, then Google and Bing will review your report and decide on the next steps. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit