MapQuest adds a Surveillance Layer showing Flock and other license plate readers
The new layer lets people see known ALPR locations and camera direction, making it easier to avoid areas covered by those systems.
MapQuest has added a Surveillance Layer to its app that shows the locations of known license plate readers, including Flock devices and equipment from several other vendors. The feature also shows which direction each camera faces, which could let drivers and privacy-minded users steer around known ALPR coverage when possible. The company said on Bluesky that the layer includes systems from Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia and Verkada. The update lands amid continuing backlash over automated license plate readers, with critics arguing that the systems are a privacy risk and some cities already removing them after complaints.
Why it matters
For drivers and privacy-conscious users, the change turns license plate readers into something they can check before they travel. It does not remove the cameras, but it gives people a clearer view of where ALPR coverage exists and how it is aimed, while public criticism of these systems continues and some cities pull them back.
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Sources
- Tom's Hardware