MapQuest adds Surveillance Layer mapping Flock license plate cameras
In brief
- MapQuest's Surveillance Layer, a toggle in Map Options, plots known license plate readers.
- Flock Safety is covered, plus vendors including Motorola Solutions' Vigilant, Axon, Genetec and Verkada.
- MapQuest didn't say where its camera location data comes from.
- The Ban Flock Act and a Texas order halting state Flock funding preceded the launch.
What the layer shows
Flock isn't the only vendor on the map. According to Decrypt's report, the layer also covers cameras from Motorola Solutions' Vigilant, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo's ELSAG, Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada and other outdoor surveillance systems.
A MapQuest demo video showed a dense cluster of eye-shaped camera icons around Los Angeles' Marina del Rey neighborhood (each one paired with a red cone marking the direction the camera faced).
“The Roads Have Eyes!” the company wrote.
The layer has limits. It only reflects cameras that have been identified, Decrypt noted, and many destinations may be impossible to reach without passing one.
Why drivers care
License plate readers photograph passing vehicles and convert their plates into searchable data. Flock's AI-powered cameras go further, logging details like make, model, color and even bumper stickers.
The cameras can be networked so agencies across the country share access. Critics say that setup allows warrantless tracking of ordinary drivers. Decrypt also reported that Flock is developing an AI tool to help police track drivers without license plate data or even a name.
A widening backlash
Lawmakers including Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced the Ban Flock Act, which seeks to prohibit federal agencies from using the technology, per Decrypt. That followed Sanders' call in late August to "stop Flock and AI mass surveillance." In the same stretch, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to stop funding Flock cameras after the Texas Tribune found a state agency had steered at least $30 million toward the network, Decrypt reported.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley has responded to the backlash by asking Americans to compromise on privacy in exchange for safety, according to Decrypt. President Donald Trump, breaking his silence on the topic in mid-September, has praised the company's cameras, Decrypt reported.
It's even reached gaming (a Grand Theft Auto mod lets players destroy Flock cameras in-game).
Frequently asked questions
What is MapQuest's Surveillance Layer?
It's a toggle in the MapQuest app's Map Options that plots known automated license plate readers, according to MapQuest's Bluesky post as reported by Decrypt. It covers Flock Safety cameras plus systems from vendors such as Motorola Solutions' Vigilant, Axon, Genetec and Verkada.
Where does MapQuest get its camera location data?
MapQuest didn't say in its post where the location data comes from. Decrypt also noted that the map only reflects devices that have been identified, so it isn't a complete record of every camera.
