MapQuest’s new ‘surveillance layer’ feature flags Flock cameras on users’ routes

MapQuest added a new feature to its mobile app Thursday that allows users to turn on a “surveillance layer” to find known license plate readers in their route.

“The Roads Have Eyes!,” MapQuest said on social platform Bluesky Thursday announcing the new feature.

“Turn on the Surveillance Layer in Map Options to see known license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada, and other outdoor surveillance cameras,” the post read.

Earlier this month, progressive lawmakers introduced legislation to ban federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). The Ban Flock Act would stop federal agencies from using ALPR and pause federal grant funding to state and local governments with ALPR contracts.

The legislation would also allow Americans to sue the federal government for the use of ALPRs.

One of the ALPR firms, Flock Safety, took the center stage in a controversy earlier this year for its network of more than 120,000 cameras across the country.

Flock’s plate readers not only record license plate numbers, but specific details about a car to create what the company calls a “vehicle signature.” The details include the make, model and color of the car along with unique features like bumper stickers, decals, and accessories. The company, however, does not use biometric data or facial recognition. 

A series of recent reports shed light on multiple instances of law enforcement misusing Flock or other ALPRs. Among those is a Washington Post  investigation that found more than 50 officers had been accused, charged with or convicted of misusing Flock or other license plate readers to spy on exes or romantic interests. 

Last month, a bipartisan pair of senators sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, urging him to disclose details about any use of ALPRs by the Justice Department. Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) also requested the issuance of guidance to state and local law enforcement agencies to prevent the misuse of ALPRs.

Andrew Smith, a Flock spokesperson, told The Hill in a statement that the company “strongly supports legislation establishing guardrails governing license plate reader use.”

MapQuest’s popularity surged last month after the company announced that it would not rename Lake Ontario to “Lake America” after President Trump signed an executive order changing its name. The company said following the announcement, its mobile app received hundreds of thousands of downloads.

The company also responded similarly in 2025 to Trump’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” on his first day back in office. MapQuest allowed its users to refer to the body of water however they wanted.