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Flock camera locations revealed on MapQuest’s new Surveillance Layer — users can now see placement and direction of known license plate readers from multiple companies Time to download the app. MapQuest, a long-time online mapping and navigation service that predates Google Maps, just released an app update that added a new Surveillance Layer. The company said on Bluesky that it plots the locations of known license plate readers on the map and that it covers devices from Flock, as well as other companies like Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada, and other brands. The Roads Have Eyes! 👁️ 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. — @mapquest.com (@mapquest.com.bsky.social) 2026-10-18T02:31:11.890Z It’s unclear how the app developers found all this data, but it is similar to the Flock Surveillance Map that one security researcher built using Flock’s own data. Beyond showing each camera's location, it also indicates the direction it faces, allowing anyone who doesn't want to be captured by an automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system to avoid known cameras, if possible. While cities and police forces argue that systems like these help keep people safe by making it easier to track potential criminals, many people say that they’re a massive invasion of privacy, citing multiple incidents of police officers abusing the system and administrative mistakes, like one resulting in the detention of an innocent car reviewer. This is why some cities whose constituents have complained have started removing them. A Canadian YouTuber built a “Flock-like” camera that tracked police vehicles and was visited by officers who, in an ironic twist, raised privacy concerns. These are the exact concerns critics have about ALPRs, especially when they connect to a wider federal or national system that lets police officers from another city or state track vehicles without a warrant. It’s unclear how police would react to this functionality, but many police departments have previously complained when Waze released a 2015 update that let users report officers' locations. This new MapQuest feature can help you get around known ALPR camera locations. But if your destination has heavy camera coverage, you’ll have no choice but to pass through one and be detected, unless someone in the neighborhood has put a “Flock Sock” on one of them. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds. Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics. - bill001g I am not sure what they think they are going to accomplish. Almost every police car in larger cities now has automatic license plate readers that read every plate that passes. Its not like you can avoid every police car even the unmarked ones. Mostly it is used to alert for stolen cars passing by or parked on the road but they could if they were jerks go after people who let their car insurance lapse. This information is retained for some period of time and used in coordination with flock cameras in some cities so called "real time crime centers". I would be more worried if this data was every allowed for something other than criminal cases. Think what a divorce attorney would do if they could track cheating spouses with systems like this. Reply - USAFRet bill001g said:Think what a divorce attorney would do if they could track cheating spouses with systems like this.They already do this with E-ZPass. 20 years ago: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna20216302 Reply - Concerned Liberty bill001g said:I am not sure what they think they are going to accomplish. Almost every police car in larger cities now has automatic license plate readers that read every plate that passes. Its not like you can avoid every police car even the unmarked ones. Mostly it is used to alert for stolen cars passing by or parked on the road but they could if they were jerks go after people who let their car insurance lapse. This information is retained for some period of time and used in coordination with flock cameras in some cities so called "real time crime centers". I would be more worried if this data was every allowed for something other than criminal cases. Think what a divorce attorney would do if they could track cheating spouses with systems like this.I think the intention is primarily to keep citizens informed. There have been several cases now where people were accused of crimes they never committed using Flock, or other license plate reader, technology. Comparing fixed cameras on every street to roaming cop cars misses the point completely. Reply - bit_user ueyey4 said:MapQuest is still around? I think the last time I used it was 16 years ago!Yeah, right? They recently got a bunch of publicity after their refusal to rename Lake Ontario. After that, it surged to one of the top-downloaded apps in the app stores. Reply - SmoothBokeh bit_user said:Yeah, right? They recently got a bunch of publicity after their refusal to rename Lake Ontario. After that, it surged to one of the top-downloaded apps in the app stores.I just now realized google maps renamed it....cowards. To Map Quest I go. Reply - USAFRet bit_user said:Yeah, right? They recently got a bunch of publicity after their refusal to rename Lake Ontario. After that, it surged to one of the top-downloaded apps in the app stores.Lake Ontario, Gulf of Mexico. Reply - hotaru251 sounds like its time to attach a device to hide plate when pressed when driving by one and then undo it when no longer in range.Reply
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