You Should Probably Switch To MapQuest Until Google Maps Gets This Key Privacy Feature

Surveillance cameras have become one of the hottest topics in 2026, and the company that used to help give you printed directions back in the pre-smartphone days is seeing an increase in popularity thanks to a related feature — one that helps users avoid security cameras from companies like Flock. This can be especially handy, as Flock has already been shown to track far more than just license plates. Now, MapQuest's new Surveillance Layer may help readers navigate Flock's 120,000-camera system.

Announced in a post on Bluesky (via Android Authority), MapQuest's new Surveillance Layer provides users with the option to view where surveillance cameras are located on public roads, with the app even providing information regarding which direction the camera is facing. Along with providing information about Flock Safety cameras, MapQuest also shows information about cameras from services like Genetec, Axis Communications, Leonardo (ELSAG), Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), and more. Even better, enabling it is pretty easy.

Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) have been a contentious topic practically throughout all of 2026, with companies like Flock arguing the devices are good for security and preventing crime. However, as evidence mounts that these devices may be used for more than just reading license plates, it's leading to citizens tearing down Flock traffic cameras in certain areas. With MapQuest being one of the first services to introduce such a surveillance layer, it will be interesting to see if other companies like Google and Apple follow suit.

We here at BGR have already taken a look at one free tool that can help you avoid AI cameras and ALPRs, but MapQuest's new Surveillance Layer feature has people returning to the 30-year-old service in droves. However, this surge in popularity may also come from MapQuest refusing to change the names of regions at the request of the current federal administration. In August 2026, MapQuest sailed to the No. 1 position on the Apple App Store's list of top navigation apps, and it was No. 8 overall for all apps.

If you want to use MapQuest's new feature, you just need to enable Surveillance Layers from the Layers option in the bottom-right corner of the map — though naturally, make sure you check for any pending app updates first. Across the internet, MapQuest's new feature seems to be rather popular among users, with many supporting the company's decision to add the functionality. Of course, some users may also be singing a different tune once they notice how many ALPRs are in their area.

Considering the newfound popularity of MapQuest, it will be interesting to see if other mapping services follow suit. It'll be especially interesting to see if Waze will adopt this feature, considering it rose to popularity through its community-driven monitoring of law enforcement patrolling — a feature Google kept (and even added to Google Maps) after acquiring Waze in 2013. However, as one user within the r/technology subreddit puts it regarding MapQuest's new feature, "Mapquest beating Google Maps was not on my 2026 bingo card, but I fully embrace it."