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. 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.
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. 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.
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