Rampant data collection, from your health data to your scrolling habits, has become a leading profit stream for companies small and large. Users are consenting — often unconsciously — to sharing more and more information with our tech overlords every time they upgrade a new device or buy-in to the latest industry hype.
Meanwhile, public concerns about surveillance are escalating as cities push back against invasive public safety apparatuses, like Flock ALPRs, and more people call into question the normalization of personal surveillance tech, like Ring cameras and tracking apps like Find My or Life360.
The integration of generative AI across all areas of our lives is cranking the dial up even higher.
Since the launch of Apple Intelligence, the company has brought new AI-powered upgrades across its systems and devices, including brand new features in Apple Maps. Maps users can now fly through cities using AI-enhanced aerial views or even return to places they may have forgotten they visited. The company has even integrated personalized ads and sponsored searches.
But while tech is making it easier than ever to see the whole world without leaving your room, its also making it easier for people to find you.
How to keep your home off Apple Maps
Two of the most commonly used digital maps, Google Maps and Apple Maps, offer users the option to obscure their residences from public view. Both companies automatically blur faces and license plates in the process of documenting and updating their street maps, as well. But no tech is infallible.
Google Maps — the most used navigation app in the country, if not the world — offers a one-stop shop for blurring addresses and other identifying information directly in Maps. Even so, it still takes some due diligence, and a bit of patience, to ensure your home isn’t there for all to see.
Learn how to blur your entire home from Google’s Street View.
Apple’s process is a bit more convoluted, and you may have to deal with the company’s customer service despite the tech behemoth’s frictionless ecosystem. But with millions of daily users, Apple Maps is an essential part of your privacy plan.
Here’s how to do it:
- 5 min.
- Personal device
- Contact information
- Proof of ownership
Step 1:
Input your exact home address into Apple Maps.
Step 2:
Enter “Look Around” mode.
Tap the small binocular icon on the left side of the screen for mobile users. A preview of street view images should appear on the screen. Enter full screen mode by tapping the photo or hitting the arrows in the top left corner. On Desktop, enter full screen Look Around mode by selecting the small photo on the bottom of the screen.
Step 3:
Select “Report an Issue.”
For mobile users, swipe up from the bottom of your screen or tap the address listed at the bottom of Look Around mode. You should see a list of options. Select “Report an Issue” at the bottom. For desktop users, select the three dots near the top of the screen to open the full menu. Select “Report an Issue.”
Step 4:
Choose “Privacy Concerns.”
A new window should open, displaying the residential address at the top of the screen and a preview of Apple’s stored residential images. Below this, you should see a list of reporting categories. Choose “Privacy Concerns.”
Step 5:
Select “Obscure imagery of my home.”
Users can also request to have personal information, such as license plates or other identifying details, by choosing “Obscure personal information.”
Step 6:
Fill out the report form.
Verify the correct street address and input your contact information. If you are an Apple account owner already logged into your account, your email should auto-populate. A copy of your report will be stored in your Apple account. If you are not an Apple user, input your preferred email address.
Step 7:
Wait for further instructions.
After filling out the form, Apple will send you an email with further information on how to complete a request to blur your residence. You may need to provide further identifying information or home ownership details. Apple will also notify you via email address when your report has been resolved.
There’s no guaranteed timeline for how long it will take to remove images of your property from Apple Maps, but you can spend those precious hours requesting removals on Google Maps and even Bing Maps, or removing your personal information from the internet entirely. It may be worth it.
If you have further questions or special circumstances, email the company at MapsImageCollection@apple.com.
