Street View

Google Street View, which launched in the country earlier this month and provides detailed imaging of streets and the exterior of homes, is the latest of a number of new media applications that present security challenges for millions of South Africans.

 

According to Christelle Fourie, Managing Director of MUA Insurance, the executive home and motor insurer, Google Street View allows anyone to view the security features of a home, such as spikes, electric fencing, walls and the entire perimeter of a property. “Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the types of technology they employ to plan a burglary and sites like these can actually aid someone in doing this.”

 

Google Street View has already been criticised internationally for its invasion of privacy. A survey in the UK, conducted by myvouchercodes.co.uk, found that 57 per cent of respondents though the the street mapping service was an ‘intrusion' while 24 per cent said that they believed it was ‘a service for burglars’.

 

Fourie says Street View is just one of a number of new online websites that are putting people at increased risk. “Sites such as Facebook and Twitter invite people to disclose personal information such as what they are doing at that moment and where they are. People also post details such as holiday plans and when they will be away from home, giving criminals all the information they need to plan a burglary.”

 

Facebook is already one of the most popular websites in South Africa, with 2.8m users, according to the latest survey by Facebakers, a portal that collates Facebook statistics on all countries. The website also recently came under fire for changing its privacy settings to make people’s profiles more open, without properly informing its users.

 

Fourie says people should be careful how much information they provide when using social networking sites and who they disclose this information to. “Besides the immediate risks they are exposing themselves to by disclosing sensitive information, they could also be faced with increased insurance premiums in the future.”

 

“Insurance premiums are based on a risk assessment of each individual. At the moment online activity is generally not considered part of an individual’s assessment, however, with new online services launching all the time, insurers may soon have to start taking account of people’s online habits.”

 

She adds that the increasing popularity of smart phones in South Africa such as the Blackberry and the iPhone may also pose a major security risk for people. “Many of these phones have features such as Facebook, email and personal calendars built in without password protection, so if a criminal gets hold of one of these phones, they have instant access to sensitive personal information.”
Fourie says people can take the following steps to protect themselves such as:

By Marelize Potgieter, Beeld.

 

Kaapstad. – Skelms wat behendig is met ’n rekenaar sal nou baie makliker toegang tot jou huis kan verkry met Google se Street View-funksie.

So het me. Christelle Fourie, besturende direkteur van MUA Insurance in Kaapstad, gister gesê.

 

Die nuwe tegnologie kan inbrekers help om vas te stel of ’n huis ’n elektriese heining en veiligheidskameras het en presies bepaal hoe groot die omtrek van die perseel Street View stel jou in staat om van enige punt op straatvlak in alle rigtings ’n panoramiese uitsig van die omgewing te geniet. Dit is onlangs op die Suid-Afrikaanse kaarte van Google Maps (www.maps.google.com) en Google Earth bekend gestel.

 

Volgens Fourie is die kameras wat gebruik is om strate te verfilm baie hoër as die normale persoon en stel dit jou in staat om oor ’n heining of muur te kyk. “Jy kan ongelooflik baie detail met Street View sien.

 

“Suid-Afrika is baie uniek in die sin dat ons so ’n hoë misdaadsyfer het en die funksie maak mense kwesbaar.”

Huiseienaars doen so baie om hul wonings te beveilig en dit is kommerwekkend om te dink dat Google in afgebakende woon-
areas ingegaan het om strate en huise te verfilm.

 

Mnr. Tony Schreiber, medestigter van BKM-buurtwag, dink egter nie Street View sal noodwendig ’n toename in huisbrake tot gevolg hê nie. “?’n Inbreker is dikwels ’n opportunis en sal die meeste van die tyd toeslaan wanneer hulle ’n geleentheid sien.

 

“Dit is gewoonlik iets soos ’n oop deur of hek wat hulle lok.”

 

Indien ’n inbraak beplan word, sal die inbreker die omgewing heel waarskynlik vooraf verken.

 

Hulle sal seker maak of daar honde is en indien wel, hoeveel en waar hulle toegemaak word.

 

Volgens me. Julie Taylor, woordvoerder van Google Suid-Afrika, word mense se privaatheid beskerm deur gesigte en voertuie se nommerplate te verdof. Die beelde is maande oud en kan verwyder word as ’n versoek gerig word.  

 

Source: Beeld