A Waymo robotaxi alerted emergency services after detecting what it believed was a firearm, leading to two teenagers’ arrests. The incident has intensified questions about passenger privacy, the use of in-car cameras and whether autonomous vehicles should be able to initiate police involvement.

Waymo says its internal cameras and automated systems help identify breaches of its terms, including prohibited weapons, but has not explained how firearms are detected, what confidence threshold is required or whether human staff review alerts before police are contacted. The company also does not disclose how many law-enforcement requests it receives or fulfils, while previous cases involving Waymo footage have raised broader concerns about mobile surveillance and potential misuse.