Why Some Individuals Are Opting to Blur Their Homes on Google Maps

October 15, 2024

Growing digital privacy concerns lead homeowners to blur their houses on Google Maps to protect their personal information and enhance security against potential threats.

Blurring homes helps public figures and individuals wishing to maintain a low profile avoid unwanted recognition and attention.

While blurring can safeguard privacy, it may inadvertently attract more curiosity and limit the usefulness of maps for emergency responders and delivery services.


562 words ~ 2 min.


As digital privacy concerns grow, more people are realizing how their personal information is used and stored online. One specific privacy issue gaining attention is the visibility of homes on Google Maps. In this article, we discuss why some homeowners are choosing to blur their houses on this popular platform, important drawbacks to consider, and what to do if you choose to protect your privacy on Google Maps.


Privacy Concerns

For many, the primary motivation behind blurring their homes on Google Maps stems from a desire for increased privacy. The detailed imagery available on Google Street View can offer an uncomfortably close look at private residences, potentially exposing the layout and structure of one's home to anyone with internet access. This visibility could pose security risks, making some homeowners feel vulnerable to theft or unwanted attention.


Avoiding Unwanted Recognition

In addition to security concerns, there are instances where individuals may not want their homes to be easily recognizable on a global platform. This is particularly true for public figures or individuals who wish to maintain a low profile due to personal reasons. By blurring their homes, they can prevent easy identification by onlookers or fans.


Potential Problems 

Blurring your house on Google Maps might seem like a harmless way to protect your privacy, but experts warn of potential problems that could arise. One concern is that it may inadvertently draw more attention to your property, as curious individuals may wonder why it’s blurred and attempt to investigate further. Additionally, blurring can limit the usefulness of the map for emergency responders who rely on accurate locations during critical situations or create confusion for expected deliveries. As you weigh your options, factor these potential outcomes in your decision.


How to Blur Your Home on Google Maps

If you've decided to blur your home on Google Maps, the process is relatively straightforward. Follow these steps to ensure your residence remains private:


  • Access Google Maps: Navigate to Google Maps in your web browser.
  • Locate Your Home: Use the search function to find your home's address and switch to Street View.
  • Enter Street View: Click on the image of your home to enter Street View mode.
  • Report a Problem: In the bottom right corner of the screen, click on "Report a problem."
  • Request Blurring: A new page will appear with options to blur your house. Use the red box to select the area you wish to blur, which can be adjusted to cover your entire property.
  • Submit the Request: After making your selection, complete the required fields at the bottom of the page and submit your request.
  • Once processed, Google will review your request and make the necessary changes, permanently blurring your home from Street View imagery.


The Takeaway

As concerns about digital privacy continue to rise, homeowners are increasingly considering the implications of their visibility on platforms like Google Maps. Blurring one’s home can provide a sense of security and privacy, especially for those who value their personal space or are public figures. However, it’s essential to weigh the potential drawbacks, such as increased curiosity and the impact on emergency services. If protecting your privacy on Google Maps aligns with your needs, the straightforward blurring process can help you maintain that desired level of confidentiality. Ultimately, informed decisions about your online presence will help you navigate the balance between privacy and visibility in our digital age.

 



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The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC. 

The 48-Hour Rule: Turning Business Ideas into Reality

January 26, 2026
Small business owners are usually not short on ideas. You have them in the shower, in the car, halfway through a client call, and even in the middle of the night. Ideas for a new service. A better way to onboard customers. A partnership you should pursue. A social post series that would actually sound like you. No, the problem is not creativity. The problem is action. Most good ideas don’t die because they were bad. They die because they never get translated into a next step while they’re still exciting. That’s why you need the 48-Hour Rule. The rule is simple: If an idea doesn’t have a next action plotted and scheduled within 48 hours, it’s not a plan. It’s entertainment. This is not a judgment on your executing abilities. It’s your business. The urgent pulls harder than the important. And once an idea slips behind payroll, customer emails, and the Tuesday fire drill, it rarely climbs back out. So, let’s talk about how to make the 48-Hour Rule work in real life with time limits. Why 48 Hours Works (And “Someday” Doesn’t) A new idea creates a burst of clarity. You can see the path. You can picture the result. You feel a little lighter because you’ve imagined a better version of your business. But clarity fades fast. In 48 hours, two things happen: Reality returns. Your current workload reasserts itself or you start doubting your abilities, your team’s abilities, your customer’s interests, or any other number of things that begin to cause… The idea starts to feel bigger than it is. You forget the simple version and only remember the “perfect” version. This becomes next to impossible to put into action. The 48-Hour Rule protects your idea from both. It forces you to do one thing before the moment passes: choose the next action . Not the whole plan. Not the branding. Not the full rollout. Just the next action. The Difference Between an Idea and a Next Action An idea is fun, creative, exciting, while a next action is specific, physical, and schedulable. It’s something you can do without needing another meeting with yourself. Shy away from your action being “research.” It’s easy to get lost in it with little to show. Here are examples: Idea: “We should improve customer follow-up.” Next action: “Draft a two-email follow-up template and save it in the CRM.” Idea: “We should partner with another business.” Next action: “Write one partnership pitch email and send it to two businesses by Friday.” Idea: “We should raise prices.” Next action: “List top 10 services, current prices, and margins in a spreadsheet by Thursday at 10 a.m.” If you can’t schedule it, it’s not a next action. How to Implement the 48-Hour Rule Without Blowing up Your Week If you’re excited about your new idea, get something scheduled, even during a busy week. Try this: Step 1: Capture the idea in one sentence. Not five paragraphs. One sentence. Put it in a running note on your phone or a single “Idea Parking Lot” document. Step 2: Write the smallest next action. Ask: “What’s the first move that would make this 5% more real?” Step 3: Schedule it inside the next 48 hours. Not “this week.” Not “soon.” Put a 15–30-minute block on your calendar. Treat it like a client meeting. Because it is. Your future revenue is sitting in the lobby. Step 4: Give it a finish line. The goal of that block is not perfection. It’s progress you can point to. A draft. A message sent. A decision made. A file created. The “Two-Track” Trick for Busy Seasons If you’re in a truly slammed stretch, use this adjustment: you only have to schedule one of two things within 48 hours : The next action or A decision to deliberately defer it (with a date) That second option matters. Because “not now” can be a smart business decision. If you can’t do the action, schedule a 10-minute decision block: “Do we pursue this in Q1 or not?” That keeps you moving. What This Looks Like Over Time The magic of the 48-Hour Rule isn’t that every idea becomes a big initiative. Instead, your business becomes a place where ideas get handled, not hoarded. You’ll start to notice: Fewer loose ends rattling around in your brain Faster follow-through (which customers feel immediately) More momentum inside your team Better instincts about what’s worth doing, because you’re testing ideas in small bites Action compounds in the way that matters reducing chaos and increasing innovation. A Simple Challenge for This Week Pick one idea you’ve been sitting on. Just one. Write the next action. Schedule 20 minutes for it in the next 48 hours. Then do it. That’s how businesses grow—small, consistent moments of follow-through. Ask the Chamber If you’re thinking, “I have ideas, but I need the right people, resources, or a push,” you’re not alone. That’s exactly what a chamber of commerce is built for: turning good intentions into traction. Use your chamber for the kind of next actions that matter: Ask them to make an introduction that leads to a partnership or something specific you need Attend one event and meet your next vendor or client Join one committee and get closer to decision-makers Ask one question and get practical insight from business owners who’ve been there Your idea may be game changing, but you won’t know until you execute. You may not have time to get it completely worked out and implemented, but you do have time to start with a 20-minute next step. Try the 48-Hour Rule this week. Then let your chamber help you turn that first step into a path. Read More: Embracing Imperfection to Strengthen Your Business How Small Businesses Can Lead Innovation How to Make Time for Innovation Revenue Without Regret: Designing Offers You're Proud to Sell Scaling Your Impact: From Dore to Delegator to Developer  -------------- Christina Metcalf is a writer and women’s speaker who believes in the power of story. She works with small businesses, chambers of commerce, and business professionals who want to make an impression and grow a loyal customer/member base. She is the author of The Glinda Principle , rediscovering the magic within. _______________________________________ Facebook: @tellyourstorygetemtalking Instagram: @christinametcalfauthor LinkedIn: @christinametcalf5

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How to Verify the Accuracy of an Applicant's Resume

January 13, 2026
75% of hiring managers have encountered lies on resumes, posing a challenge to the trustworthiness of applicant qualifications. Pruning outdated or irrelevant job experiences from resumes can help applicants highlight their most recent and pertinent skills. Checking for employment gaps can uncover important character traits or red flags, such as incarceration, which can be further explored through background checks. Up to 85% of job seekers admit to lying on resumes about aspects like job duties and skills, making independent verification crucial. Handling discovered resume discrepancies with professionalism and aligning hiring decisions with organizational values are key. Investing in thorough verification processes, despite initial costs, is essential for reducing long-term expenses related to unproductive wages, training, and turnover. 554 words ~ 2.5 min. read In today's job market, it's quite common for applicants to exaggerate on their resumes. A surprising find by CareerBuilder shows that 75% of hiring managers have spotted lies on resumes. This highlights a big problem in hiring - how can employers trust what's on a resume? With the honesty of candidate qualifications on the line, it's important for hiring managers to find reliable ways to check the accuracy of resumes to make good hiring decisions. Read on to discover three strategies to help you fast-track the fact-checking process. Prune Old Jobs Pruning old jobs simply means removing any outdated or irrelevant information. For example, if an applicant lists a job that they held 10 years ago and haven't worked in that field since, there's a good chance their skills are no longer up-to-date. The hiring platform Indeed reminds job hopefuls to prioritize their most recent and relevant experience , so including historical work experience may also signal a lack of confidence in applying for an intended position. Check for Gaps Another way to verify the accuracy of an applicant's resume is to check for gaps. This means looking for any periods of time where there is no employment listed. These gaps could be due to a variety of reasons, such as taking time off to raise a family or going back to school. However, they could also be due to something less savory, such as incarceration. Including a background check will reveal gaps due to jail time but also other important things you may want to know like criminal arrest records or driving history. Resume gaps aren’t always a bad thing, of course. They may reveal an applicant’s character or important values, with gaps devoted to honing their leadership skills through volunteering for schools or charitable organizations. What you do with your understanding of these blank spaces is what’s important — use them to weed out applicants or to ascertain if a candidate is a value match during the interview process. Fact-Check Claims According to Good Hire up to 85% of job seekers have admitted to lying on their resume. What are they lying about? Most often, dishonest claims relate to job duties, work experience, and job skills. While it may be easy to verify if an applicant has indeed graduated from Harvard or won Teacher of the Year, it can take much more time and resources to fact check work history and job duties. For that reason, many employers rely on independent recruiters and agencies to verify resume details. What should you do if you discover something that doesn’t check out? When hiring managers spot a lie on a resume, it's important to handle it with care and professionalism. First, double-check the facts to avoid any misunderstandings. If the lie is real, talk to the applicant about it and listen to their side of the story. Then, based on how serious the lie is, decide if you still want to consider the candidate. In the end, your decision should align with your organization’s values. If you do hire someone and later discover the lie, experts recommend confronting the employee to learn more. If you want to terminate the employee, get legal counsel first. Takeaway Devoting time and resources to outside services will increase your hiring costs upfront. However, when you factor in the price tag for unproductive wages, in addition to training, firing, and rehiring costs, investing in a thorough verification process becomes a vital hiring and retention strategy. Read More: 10 Ways to Get the Most from your Chamber Membership Hiring in a Tight Market: Your Local Playbook for Finding and Keeping Great People The New Employee Benefit Everyone is Talking About The Power of 'Entry Interviews' and 'Stay Interviews' Strategies for Improving Employee Retention in Small Businesses --- The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce is a private non-profit organization that aims to support the growth and development of local businesses and our regional economy. We strive to create content that not only educates but also fosters a sense of connection and collaboration among our readers. Join us as we explore topics such as economic development, networking opportunities, upcoming events, and success stories from our vibrant community. Our resources provide insights, advice, and news that are relevant to business owners, entrepreneurs, and community members alike. The Chamber has been granted license to publish this content provided by Chamber Today, a service of ChamberThink Strategies LLC.