# Question about blurred house on Google Earth street view **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780 "2020-02-11T16:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/1 "2020-02-11T16:18:39Z")
https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=%213m2%212sen%214v0%216m8%211m7%211sZYMsVNPjdlAFaYNtAU4IFQ%212m2%211d47.6446224%212d-122.6503641%213f310.46%214f8.924%215f0.75 This house, in an average area in Kitsap County, Washington, has been intentionally blurred in this street view. I cannot imagine a rationale for that. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/2 "2020-02-11T16:30:18Z")
Google will do that by request. Hunting for houses last year, we ran across a few of these, oddly including one for sale. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/3 "2020-02-11T16:32:24Z")
Because the owner/resident requested it, most likely. From the [Street View policy](https://www.google.com/streetview/policy/) page: > [@](#): > > If you see that your face or license plate requires additional blurring, or if you would like us to blur your entire house, car, or body, submit a request using the “Report a problem” tool. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/4 "2020-02-11T16:32:38Z")
Most likely, the resident submitted a request to Google to blue out his/her house. Some people consider it an invasion of their privacy and/or they just don’t like it for some reason. Google makes it easy to do this: [See here](https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Google-Street-View-blurred-houses-14096605.php) They likely didn’t realize that Google isn’t the only player in town, or maybe Microsoft doesn’t make it as easy to opt-out, because the house is viewable on [Bing Maps street view.](https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=1e2dac87-0bab-4866-92b5-a2d913cac835&cp=47.644751~-122.65066&lvl=19&dir=11.648043&pi=1.2820368&style=x&mo=z.0&imgid=dded5ce6-fb25-471f-844c-0119c61535de&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/5 "2020-02-11T16:37:23Z")
Thanks all. I had no idea that could be done. It seemed too random for anyone at Google to care. It must have been the owner’s request. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/6 "2020-02-11T16:42:18Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Google will do that by request. > > Hunting for houses last year, we ran across a few of these, oddly including one for sale. I’ve shopped at least a few houses that were beautifully renovated for which Google had badly outdated pictures that showed overgrown trees, broken pavement, failing roof, etc. Someone selling a house can’t make Google take a new picture but they can at least make sure that buyers aren’t seeing the house when it was a wreck. It might be a smart move to ask Google to take the picture down. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/7 "2020-02-11T17:01:57Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > I’ve shopped at least a few houses that were beautifully renovated for which Google had badly outdated pictures that showed overgrown trees, broken pavement, failing roof, etc. Someone selling a house can’t make Google take a new picture but they can at least make sure that buyers aren’t seeing the house when it was a wreck. It might be a smart move to ask Google to take the picture down. Good point. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/8 "2020-02-11T17:30:47Z")
Mr. brown had an unwanted and disliked relative show up on our porch one day, which angered him so much that he went to Google Maps and asked them to blur out our house. It was done, and the blurring took out a couple of houses in all directions, too! I read that you can’t undo this once it’s done. Our neighbors must wonder why their houses are blurred out. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/9 "2020-02-11T17:47:27Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Mr. brown had an unwanted and disliked relative show up on our porch one day, which angered him so much that he went to Google Maps and asked them to blur out our house. It was done, and the blurring took out a couple of houses in all directions, too! I read that you can’t undo this once it’s done. Our neighbors must wonder why their houses are blurred out. I’d love to have him explain how he thinks that will help keep visitors away. I mean, they already _have_ your address if they are using street view. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/10 "2020-02-11T18:47:36Z")
I really wonder why Google bothers with the blurring. It’s my understanding that if you’re on public land anything you photograph is fair game. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/11 "2020-02-11T18:51:32Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I really wonder why Google bothers with the blurring. It’s my understanding that if you’re on public land anything you photograph is fair game. It is the decent thing to do, once upon a time they had a motto of “Don’t Be Evil” and then “Do the right thing”. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/12 "2020-02-11T20:03:59Z")
There are places in the streetview coverage map with small gaps. These were apparently entire locations removed from the database. Just blurring out a house wasn’t enough for whatever they were trying to suppress there. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/13 "2020-02-11T20:11:43Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’d love to have him explain how he thinks that will help keep visitors away. I mean, they already _have_ your address if they are using street view. They can’t see if you’re home. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/14 "2020-02-11T21:05:02Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’d love to have him explain how he thinks that will help keep visitors away. I mean, they already _have_ your address if they are using street view. He wasn’t thinking with the logical side of his brain that day. He was extremely pissed off, and probably felt that this was his “fuck you” to any estranged family members trying to look him up. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/15 "2020-02-12T13:32:56Z")
I was “roaming” the town my folks lived in back in the late 40s a bit ago. I was looking for the house they lived in using pics I had recently acquired. (It’s not that big of a town.)\* Came across one of those blurred houses. Made be very curious. Thanks to online records and such, found out who owned it, pics of it from real estate site, etc. Just seemed like a regular person. Yeah, that person really knows how to protect their privacy. I have also noticed sometimes Google Street View “skipping” a house. I soon realized that it often meant it was a celebrity home. Something easy enough to check and find which celeb online. So another smart move. One should think of doing this as a variation of the [Streisand Effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect). - I soon found out from a relative that they also briefly lived in another place around that time. So I may have been searching the wrong town. The relative “knows” where these houses are but not the addresses. But she’ll do a drive sometime and get the addresses. I really want to get proper labels on these old pics. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/16 "2020-02-12T14:01:58Z")
_“The Streisand Effect”_ I had never heard it before but have observed it first hand. While wombling around some local streets I saw a blurred-out house. The next chance I got, I made a deliberate detour to see if there was anything different about it. There wasn’t. I wonder how many other people have done the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/17 "2020-02-12T16:26:08Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > _“The Streisand Effect”_ I had never heard it before but have observed it first hand. While wombling around some local streets I saw a blurred-out house. The next chance I got, I made a deliberate detour to see if there was anything different about it. There wasn’t. > > I wonder how many other people have done the same thing? Probably lots. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/18 "2020-02-12T17:23:49Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > It was done, and the blurring took out a couple of houses in all directions, too! I read that you can’t undo this once it’s done. Did they send you a letter or anything to verify the request is valid? ---
**Author:** ![jonpluc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/19 "2020-02-12T17:47:16Z")
Home Depots top seller right now is blurry paint. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780/20 "2020-02-12T17:51:40Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > It is the decent thing to do, once upon a time they had a motto of “Don’t Be Evil” and then “Do the right thing”. But what good does it do? In fact you get people curious , and more publicity. As **bob++** puts it- \*“The Streisand Effect” \*. So, it doesnt help and likely hurts. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-blurred-house-on-google-earth-street-view/847780.md?page=2)