MapQuest has added a new “Surveillance Layer” to its mapping service, allowing users to view known automated license plate readers and other outdoor surveillance cameras along roads. The feature places the navigation company in the middle of a growing US debate over privacy, police data-sharing and the use of artificial intelligence to monitor drivers.
According to Decrypt, the layer is available through MapQuest’s Map Options menu. When enabled, it displays cameras associated with Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions’ Vigilant, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo’s ELSAG, Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada and other systems.
A demonstration showed eye-shaped camera symbols positioned around Los Angeles’ Marina del Rey neighborhood. Red cones next to the symbols indicated the direction in which the devices face. MapQuest has not explained where the location information comes from.
What the cameras record
Automated license plate readers photograph passing vehicles and turn plate numbers into searchable records. Flock Safety’s systems can also collect information such as a vehicle’s make, model, color and bumper stickers, according to the source material.
The devices can be connected across agencies, allowing law-enforcement departments in different parts of the country to share access to collected information. Critics argue that such networks can enable the warrantless tracking of ordinary motorists. Flock is also developing an artificial-intelligence tool intended to help police identify and follow drivers without relying on a license plate number or even a person’s name.
MapQuest users can use the new layer to identify known cameras while planning a journey. However, the map does not show devices that have not been identified, and avoiding every listed camera may not be practical for some destinations. The tool therefore provides visibility into mapped surveillance infrastructure rather than guaranteeing a camera-free route.
Backlash over Flock expands
The feature arrives as opposition to Flock’s technology grows across party lines. Earlier in October, lawmakers including Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Ban Flock Act, which would prohibit federal agencies from using the technology. Sanders had previously called for an end to Flock and what he described as AI mass surveillance.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also ordered state agencies in late August to stop funding Flock cameras. The decision followed reporting by the Texas Tribune that a state agency had directed at least $30 million toward the network.
Flock chief executive Garrett Langley has urged Americans to accept a compromise involving privacy in return for safety. President Donald Trump praised the company’s cameras in mid-September. The technology has also drawn attention beyond politics: a Grand Theft Auto modification allows players to destroy Flock cameras in the game.
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