In a move that feels like a plot twist from a dystopian novel, MapQuest has rolled out a new "surveillance layer" feature on its mobile app, letting users spot known license plate readers along their routes. Because nothing says "road trip" like knowing exactly which cameras are tracking your bumper stickers.

The announcement, made Thursday on Bluesky, came with the enthusiastic rallying cry: "The Roads Have Eyes!" - which is either a bold new marketing slogan or a chilling reminder that privacy is now a quaint relic. The feature, tucked into Map Options, displays known ALPRs from a veritable who's-who of surveillance vendors: Flock Safety, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, Verkada, and "other outdoor surveillance cameras." So, basically, everyone who's ever watched a car go by.

This development arrives just as progressive lawmakers introduced the Ban Flock Act, legislation aimed at banning federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs). The bill would also pause federal grant funding to state and local governments with ALPR contracts and, in a twist that warms the heart, allow Americans to sue the federal government over ALPR use. Because if there's one thing Americans love, it's litigation.

Flock Safety, one of the ALPR firms, has been the star of its own controversy this year. Its network of over 120,000 cameras nationwide doesn't just snap plate numbers; it creates a "vehicle signature" by recording make, model, color, and unique features like bumper stickers, decals, and accessories. The company insists it doesn't use biometric data or facial recognition - so at least your face is safe, even if your taste in bumper stickers is not.

Recent reports have highlighted multiple instances of law enforcement misusing Flock or other ALPRs. A Washington Post investigation found more than 50 officers accused, charged, or convicted of using the readers to spy on exes or romantic interests. Nothing says "public safety" like a cop with a grudge and a database.

Last month, Senators Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) sent a bipartisan letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, urging him to disclose details about the Justice Department's use of ALPRs and to issue guidance to state and local law enforcement to prevent misuse. Flock spokesperson Andrew Smith told The Hill that the company "strongly supports legislation establishing guardrails governing license plate reader use." Guardrails, of course, being the thing you add after the car has already gone off the cliff.

Meanwhile, MapQuest's popularity surged last month after it refused to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" following President Trump's executive order. The company reported hundreds of thousands of downloads in the wake of that decision. It also responded similarly in 2025 when Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" on his first day back in office - allowing users to call the body of water whatever they pleased. So, MapQuest: the last bastion of geographic integrity and, now, surveillance transparency. Who knew?