Are parked Waymos recording Nashville neighborhoods? Here’s what we know A Waymo representative said the vehicles’ data collection while parked is limited and not designed to continuously record pedestrians, license plates, families walking on sidewalks or children playing in driveways. What This Story Is About - Waymo says its autonomous vehicles use advanced sensors while driving, but a company representative says parked vehicles are not operating as neighborhood surveillance cameras or license-plate readers. Why It Matters - The question comes as Waymo vehicles become more visible in Nashville. The company says its technology is designed to understand road conditions and navigate safely — not monitor people’s daily activities. What Happens Next - Waymo says it continues using sensor data and real-world driving experience to improve how its vehicles respond to road conditions. Catch Up NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Are parked Waymos recording you throughout Nashville? Waymo says its autonomous vehicles are designed to collect information needed to navigate safely, not to record Nashville neighborhoods like a Ring camera or Flock license-plate reader. The company’s vehicles use lidar, radar, cameras and onboard computing while driving to understand their surroundings. Lidar creates a three-dimensional picture of nearby objects using laser pulses, while radar helps measure distance and speed. Waymo says cameras provide a 360-degree view around the vehicle. What data is being collected by Waymo vehicles? A Waymo representative said the vehicles’ data collection while parked is limited and not designed to continuously record pedestrians, license plates, families walking on sidewalks or children playing in driveways. The representative said a parked vehicle may need to recognize conditions such as an emergency vehicle passing by or debris in the road. That information can help the vehicle know how to safely respond in the moment and improve its driving behavior in similar situations later.