MapQuest has added a "surveillance layer" showing known locations of automated license plate readers (ALPR) and outdoor surveillance cameras, including equipment made by Flock Safety.
Newsweek contacted MapQuest's press team via email for comment on Sunday.
The map layer also includes equipment from other manufacturers, including Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axon and Verkada.
Flock’s technology can record a vehicle license plate and identify characteristics, while controversy over access and potential misuse has prompted scrutiny from lawmakers.
Why It Matters
Automated license plate readers have become a flashpoint in a broader debate over whether their value to police investigations outweighs the privacy implications of collecting searchable records about vehicles.
That debate has reached Congress, where lawmakers have proposed restrictions on federal use of the technology and federal funding connected to it.
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What To Know
Where Are Flock Cameras Located?
On October 15, MapQuest announced users can switch on the "Surveillance Layer" under Map Options. Alongside Flock Safety equipment, the feature identifies known cameras from companies including Motorola Solutions’ Vigilant, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo ELSAG, Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia and Verkada.
That distinction is important. Not every marker represents a Flock camera, and the layer should not be read as a comprehensive map of every Flock device operating nationwide. Rather, it provides locations that have been identified and incorporated into MapQuest’s surveillance data set.
Flock itself has an extensive footprint. The Hill reported that the company has a network of more than 120,000 cameras across the country. Previous Newsweek reporting has also covered public attempts to map the network and disagreements over its precise size.
What Do Flock Cameras Record?
Unlike cameras primarily intended to catch speeding drivers, automated license plate readers are designed to identify vehicles and create records that can be searched during investigations.
Flock says its cameras go beyond recording a license plate. Its "Vehicle Signature" technology can identify features including a vehicle’s make, color and type, along with distinguishing characteristics such as decals, bumper stickers and accessories. The company says those records provide searchable evidence for law enforcement.
Flock has promoted its network as a crime-fighting tool, saying access across jurisdictions can give investigators additional leads. It also markets its technology to neighborhoods and businesses as well as law enforcement agencies.
Flock does not use biometric data or facial recognition in its plate-reader system, per The Hill.
Why Are Flock Cameras Controversial?
Criticism centers largely on how information from ALPR networks is accessed, shared and used.
The concerns have been heightened by reports of unauthorized searches. A Washington Post investigation found that more than 50 officers had been accused, charged or convicted of misusing Flock or other license plate reader systems to monitor former partners or romantic interests.
Previous Newsweek reporting also documented communities reconsidering the technology because of concerns surrounding privacy, data sharing and government surveillance, even as supporters point to its usefulness in locating stolen vehicles and generating investigative leads.
Flock spokesperson Andrew Smith told The Hill the company "strongly supports legislation establishing guardrails governing license plate reader use."
Newsweek contacted Flock Safety via email for comment on Sunday.
Congress Weighs New Restrictions
Political scrutiny has accelerated alongside those concerns.
The proposed Ban Flock Act would generally prohibit federal agencies and officials from acquiring, accessing or using ALPR systems or captured plate data unless an exception applies. It would also tie certain federal assistance to state and local restrictions and prohibit federal money from being used for a range of ALPR purchases and services, subject to exemptions including tightly restricted tolling uses.
The legislation defines captured plate data broadly, including plate numbers, images, dates, times, locations, direction of travel and vehicle characteristics. It would also create a route for individuals to sue the federal government over alleged violations.
Against that backdrop, MapQuest’s new layer puts the debate into a form ordinary drivers can immediately see: a map showing how known license plate readers and other surveillance cameras are distributed around the places they travel.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Trevor Davies