MapQuest’s app now has a Surveillance layer that marks known license plate readers and other outdoor surveillance cameras on the map. MapQuest’s post tells users to switch it on in Map Options. The company announced the layer on Bluesky on October 15 as part of its latest app update.
How to turn on MapQuest’s Surveillance layer
Open Map Options in the MapQuest app. The sheet offers Default and Satellite map views, plus toggles for Traffic, Incidents and Surveillance. Switch Surveillance on, and the camera locations appear on the map.
MapQuest’s own screenshot shows the toggle inside the mobile app, not just on the website. The company’s profile points to apps on both Android and iOS. A second MapQuest post billed the release as a spooky-season app update and listed the camera map layer among its additions.
Because MapQuest tells users to turn the layer on, it reads as opt-in rather than a default. MapQuest’s posts do not say whether that changes for new installs.
Which cameras MapQuest says it maps
MapQuest named the companies behind the cameras in its announcement:
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.
Android Authority, which also reported the layer, says each camera is drawn with a field of view. We have not confirmed that detail from MapQuest’s own posts.
What MapQuest’s posts leave open
License plate readers capture the plates of passing vehicles. For a driver who cares about privacy, knowing where they sit is useful. The value of the layer depends on how complete and current its data is, though.
MapQuest’s posts do not say where the camera locations come from or how often they are updated. They also do not say how accurate the markers are, or which countries the layer covers. Treat the map as a guide to known cameras, not a complete count of every reader on your route.
The layer is the latest in a run of MapQuest app changes, after the company added Android Auto support that is still labelled a beta. For more on how surveillance tools reach phones, see our report on spyware delivered through targeted online ads.
Sources: MapQuest on Bluesky, MapQuest app update post, Android Authority
