Setting Home Privacy for the Whole Family

Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal in early 2018, online privacy has become a huge concern in our lives. As far back as 2015, however, offline privacy was already getting serious attention from the Singapore government when they passed laws to regulate drone usage.

Motorise (Overlooked) Windows

When we say “overlooked windows”, we mean it in two senses.

1. Windows that go unnoticed
2. Windows that can be seen through from a nearby, elevated point in space (e.g. a neighbour’s balcony).

Firstly, if your home is a huge house, it probably has some windows that escape your notice because they are not covered by your daily routine.

Secondly, if your home lies in close proximity to other homes (especially for those who live in apartment blocks), it probably has at least one window that can be easily seen through from a nearby vantage point; such as a kitchen on a higher floor from an opposite block.

Either scenario is a window of opportunity for busybodies to pry into your family’s personal lives. To shut this undesirable window, consider to have your window coverings motorised.

Manual operations of window coverings are impractical, especially if your home is big. Thanks to technology, your window coverings can now be programmed to close and open whenever you want them to.

You’ll have one less task to worry about as you go about the hustle of daily living. Your precious abode is now out of bounds to prying eyes and wagging tongues! Check out Somfy for motorised solutions!

Choose Opaque Materials

The most obvious solution is to use window coverings that block out external light completely. With their opaque fabric, blackout shades are the ideal candidate. These shades are multi-layered in order to ward off intrusive sunlight in areas that ought to be dark or private, such as your bedroom.

However, some light may seep through the narrow gaps between your windows and the sides of your blackout shades. If a nosey person is determined enough, he or she can peer through those minute cracks to spy on you.

To remedy this problem, you can seal the gaps with side channels. In this manner, even the most dogged stalker will be unable to sniff out your secret weekly viewing of White Chicks.

Use Reflective Blinds

Drones use cameras, and cameras have lenses. Lenses are susceptible to glare, and therefore, drones have that same weakness. You can exploit this vulnerability to the advantage of your privacy—with help from science.

To discourage drones from hovering outside your windows, you should redirect sunlight toward their camera lenses with reflective blinds. Such blinds are reflective either due to the material they are made of, or due to the coating on their exterior surface. Aluminium is an excellent choice of material, and aluminium paint is a logical option to use as reflective coating.

During the night when sunlight is absent (though moonlight is technically reflected light from the Sun), you can simply lower your blinds completely to keep spying drones out. As a bonus, any persistent drone bearing a torch will likely glare itself due to reflected torchlight.

Take your privacy into your own hands. Consult Somfy today to discover how you can optimise your window coverings as described above.