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MapQuest has introduced a new map layer in its navigation app that marks the locations of license-plate reading cameras, including those made by Flock Safety. Toggling the layer on shows a red eye icon with a cone indicating the camera's field of view, though the app does not yet offer routes that avoid them. MapQuest has not disclosed how it sourced the camera location data.
MapQuest has released an app update featuring a new Surveillance Layer that plots the locations of license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, and several other manufacturers. The company announced the feature on Bluesky, noting that it also shows the direction each camera faces, letting users identify and potentially avoid known automatic license plate recognition devices.
The Guardian reports that UK retailer Co-op has deployed an AI system built on an OpenAI model to continuously monitor and grade employee phone calls against more than 50 criteria, assigning pass or fail scores. Workers say the system can track them for several hours a day, with one whistleblower calling it 'oppressive and dystopian' because it records every word rather than occasional compliance checks.
MapQuest has launched a new "Surveillance Layer" that marks locations of automated license plate readers and outdoor surveillance cameras, including devices from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon and other manufacturers. The company has not disclosed exactly how it sources the data, though the dataset resembles crowdsourced maps maintained by DeFlock and OpenStreetMap contributors.
Court documents from a legal dispute between Amazon and a Canadian union reveal the company uses an internal AI system called Atlas to assign warehouses, including ones in the UK, a risk score for potential unionisation or other labour disruptions. The tool reportedly analyses hundreds of data points, including social media posts, internal survey responses and past industrial action, to produce a score between 100 and 900, with higher scores considered 'better' for management.
MapQuest launched a new 'Surveillance' layer this week that marks the locations of automatic license plate readers from Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axon and several other manufacturers. Users can enable it via the app's Layers menu, and tapping a marker reveals the camera type and exact coordinates. The company has not disclosed how it sources this location data.
MapQuest has introduced a new toggleable map layer that displays locations of outdoor surveillance cameras and license plate readers, including devices from Flock, Motorola Solutions, Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon and several other manufacturers. The feature sits alongside existing traffic and incident layers in the app.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley publicly defended his company's automated license-plate reader technology after facing national backlash over privacy and abuse concerns. He acknowledged the system is 'far from perfect' but argued it helps police departments address staffing shortages and improve public safety, claiming millions of people have benefited from it.
Musician and investigative researcher Benn Jordan testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism at a hearing on Flock Safety and other automatic license plate reader systems. The company, which makes ALPR cameras and software, is now under investigation by Sen. Josh Hawley, has seen hundreds of local governments cancel contracts, and reportedly plans to cut about 18 percent of its workforce, according to Reuters. Jordan says he communicates directly with Flock's CEO Garrett Langley and reports security vulnerabilities to the company despite his criticism of its practices.
Flock founder and CEO Garrett Langley publicly defended his company's license-plate camera and surveillance systems at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, arguing that halting the technology's expansion would hinder crime accountability. He addressed criticism that has led some cities to cancel contracts and the company to lay off staff, but largely responded with anecdotes from police chiefs rather than direct solutions to privacy concerns.
Flock CEO Garrett Langley told TechCrunch Disrupt that the company's Gunshot Detection microphones pick up 'just gunshots,' but Flock's website describes the system as also detecting street takeovers, severe crashes, fireworks and sideshows. The product previously drew criticism for listening for 'screaming,' which Flock relabeled as 'sounds of human distress' before later removing that distress-detection capability for customers who tested it.
Tyler Murkerson has filed a lawsuit against Flock Safety and the Coweta County Sheriff's Office, alleging deputies repeatedly searched his license plate in the Flock system without probable cause while a separate excessive-force suit he filed against the department was pending. His attorneys say deputies entered meaningless justifications like 'info' and '37' for these searches, and that Flock's software let officers type anything into a free-text field instead of requiring a verified case number.