MapQuest added a "surveillance layer" to its mobile app Thursday that lets users see known license plate readers, including Flock Safety cameras, along their route.
The company announced it on Bluesky with the post "The Roads Have Eyes!" Users switch on the layer in Map Options, and it flags readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia and Verkada, plus other outdoor surveillance cameras.
Flock sat at the center of a controversy earlier this year over its network of more than 120,000 cameras across the country. Its readers log plate numbers and build what the company calls a "vehicle signature," covering make, model, color, bumper stickers, decals and accessories. The company does not use biometric data or facial recognition.
The launch arrives after reports of police misuse. A Washington Post investigation found more than 50 officers accused, charged with or convicted of misusing Flock or other readers to spy on exes or romantic interests. Progressive lawmakers introduced the Ban Flock Act earlier this month, which would stop federal agencies from using the readers and let Americans sue the federal government over it.
The same phone that maps your drive can now map the cameras watching it.
Common questions
How do I turn on MapQuest's surveillance layer?
- You turn it on in Map Options in the MapQuest mobile app. MapQuest added the surveillance layer Thursday. Once it's on, the app flags known license plate readers along your route, including Flock Safety cameras, plus any other outdoor surveillance cameras.
Which cameras does MapQuest's surveillance layer show?
- It flags readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia and Verkada. It also shows other outdoor surveillance cameras. The layer covers known license plate readers along your route in the MapQuest mobile app.
What do Flock cameras record about my vehicle?
- Flock cameras log license plate numbers and build what the company calls a "vehicle signature." That signature covers a vehicle's make, model, color, bumper stickers, decals and accessories. Flock operates a network of more than 120,000 cameras across the country and drew controversy earlier this year.
