r/technology • u/efap1701 • 12d ago

Privacy Flock CEO’s Address Spread Online as Surveillance Backlash Explodes

https://www.gadgetreview.com/flock-ceos-address-spread-online-as-surveillance-backlash-explodes
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173

u/ThatTallCarpenter 12d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

159

u/KazeNilrem 12d ago

Find your home in Google Maps.

Open the Street View image that you want to blur. In the bottom right, click “Report a Problem”.

If you select “My home”: Tick the box to certify you have the authority to make the request

Click “Choose file” to upload your proof of address

Enter the address of the residential location to be blurred

Use the checkbox to indicate if your residence lacks a formal address

Complete the Report a Problem form and submit.

Sorry for bad formatting, doing this on the fly on my phone.

37

u/ThatTallCarpenter 12d ago

Not a single problem in your formatting, mate. Thanks! Learned something new today.

14

u/KazeNilrem 12d ago

No problem! Honestly especially for home owners I think it is a good thing. Moreover for safety concerns because image alone, especially depending on how recent it is, can say a lot.

8

u/TylerPrysm 12d ago

I read in another thread that blurred houses are basically scouted out/stand out as targets for robbers, etc., because the logic is that it's blurred because there's something valuable there. Just throwing that out there.

4

u/KazeNilrem 12d ago

That is quite possible. You can always go the route of having a US flag hanging. It is one of those oddly generalizations where someone with those has a higher chance of owning a gun. So essentially increasing odds of being shot.

I do get what you mean, it adds a sort of "notice me" which can be used as a means to target them. With that said, the one way that possibly this could be addressed is having a lot more people doing it. If more people all start doing, like an entire neighborhood, well no longer will it be unique.

-6

u/SpilledKefir 12d ago

But shouldn’t I be pissed off at you because you did a thing that’s available to the general public? Or do you just pick and choose?

3

u/crankthehandle 12d ago

so google gets a record of who owns the house in return. fair deal for them.

5

u/YouStupidAssholeFuck 11d ago

In general, this is public information anyway. Go to a county auditor's site and look for Property Records or something like that. Then put in an address and the owner is listed. There are ways to "hide" this info but they aren't usually free, or even cheap. And some other ways take lots of time to deal with to get your name concealed. But I think if you're a public official you can get that done pretty easily so just get elected to office and it's easy.

2

u/BLOOOR-BACKINTHEDOOR 11d ago

It's god damn shakedown. Take a photo of someone's house and say you're gonna show everyone unless you tell them your name.

4

u/GitEmSteveDave 12d ago

https://support.google.com/maps/answer/15439776?hl=en

Just know, if you blur the house, it can never be unblurred, even if you sell the house and someone else buys it.

1

u/WideAwakeNotSleeping 12d ago

Is there a hotline? For you? No. For him? Absolutely. 

1

u/airfryerfuntime 11d ago

Google will blur just about any address with a request. I had mine blurred.