MapQuest adds a Surveillance Layer to its mobile app showing license plate readers and cameras from 10+ companies including Flock, using OpenStreetMap data (Chase DiBenedetto/Mashable)

MapQuest has added a Surveillance Layer to its Android and iOS mobile apps, allowing users to see the locations of known outdoor surveillance cameras and automated license plate readers (ALPRs). According to Techmeme, the feature utilizes OpenStreetMap data. Users can activate the layer via the Map Options or Layers icon, which will display red eye icons on the map to indicate camera locations. CNET reports that clicking an icon will show the exact coordinates and the type of reader, such as whether it is fixed or a dome.

The layer includes data from more than 10 companies, including Flock, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, and Verkada. TechRadar notes that Flock alone has over 120,000 cameras installed across the United States.

This update follows a period of increased popularity for the navigation software. Hacker News Best and TechRadar note that the service saw a resurgence after refusing to follow US government mandates regarding the renaming of Lake Ontario. Additionally, MapQuest recently added support for Android Auto.

Brief written by urgent.news from Techmeme, TechRadar, Hacker News Best, CNET, Mashable — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.