MapQuest adds surveillance camera map layer
Original: MapQuest will now show you where Flock cameras are in your neighborhood
Why This Matters
Surveillance camera density is a growing civil liberties concern; public mapping adds accountability.
MapQuest has added a map layer showing known outdoor surveillance cameras and license plate readers, including Flock, Vigilant, Verkada, and others, giving users visibility into local surveillance infrastructure.
MapQuest's app now lets users toggle a layer displaying the locations of outdoor surveillance cameras and license plate readers in their area. The feature covers cameras from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, and Verkada. The layer sits alongside existing traffic and incidents overlays, keeping it easy to access.
The rollout continues MapQuest's unlikely revival streak. The once-forgotten mapping service spiked in users earlier this year after it declined to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America"—a stance that contrasted sharply with Google Maps and Apple Maps. Since then it has added Android Auto support and public transit directions, features long expected from a modern mapping app.
MapQuest announced the surveillance camera layer with a clip set to Rockwell's 1984 hit "Somebody's Watching Me." The feature won't help users dodge every camera on a daily commute, but it provides a clearer picture of how widely these systems are deployed—information that privacy advocates and neighborhood groups pushing back against surveillance infrastructure will find particularly useful.