Website That Provides Details of Homes and Their Owners Criticised by Police
A website that provides details of homes and their owners has been criticised by police and Neighbourhood Watch groups.
The site, 192.com, features photographs, maps, addresses and property prices, which could make secluded and isolated homes vulnerable. A police source adds: “There are fears criminals or even terrorists could use it to find out who lives where.”1
Earlier this year, the site launched a section called Property Report, which allows users to view interior photographs of the home from the last time it was marketed on Zoopla.
Website That Provides Details of Homes and Their Owners Criticised by Police
The firm states that homeowners can opt out and request that images be removed.
A 192.com spokesperson states that the service is only supplying information already available online: “We were aware security concerns would be a bone of contention but the vast majority of people are happy with the service.”1
Photographs are available for homes that have been marketed with the last ten years.
Each property report includes details such as the price paid, current mortgage provider, neighbouring house prices and local crime levels.
When Property Report launched, 192.com called it “the most comprehensive property information tool available to the general public”2.
The feature targets homebuyers and costs £14.99 + VAT to use.
North Wales Police has sent an internal memo, warning officers about the site, according to a story in the Mirror.
The Chairman of Britain’s Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network, Jim Maddan, comments: “I can’t think of any other site which gives out so much personal information all in one go.
“It concerns me this could make it easier for thieves, cold callers and fraudsters to target individuals and the elderly.”2
However, 192.com’s Product Director, Dominic Blackburn, says: “I was surprised by the story in the Mirror, as 192.com has been around since 1997 supplying data that is available in the public domain.
“We take privacy very seriously and only publish data that is freely available, such as the open electoral roll and directory enquiries phone numbers. The data given to us already excludes those people who have opted out, and we enable people to remove themselves from our site by contacting us.
“The Property Report is a new product that compiled data from many different sources that are all publicly available. It is designed to be a one-stop report on any home in England and Wales for use by homebuyers or house hunters to quickly get all the relevant information and costs £14.99 + VAT.”2
1 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/property-website-192com-condemned-cops-6521579
2 http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/website-which-gives-details-of-homes-and-their-owners-criticised/