Waymo robotaxi alerts police after detecting firearm, teens arrested

In early September, two teenagers were detained after a Waymo robotaxi in Los Angeles was stopped by police. Waymo’s system flagged a “violation of our terms of service involving a firearm,” prompted the vehicle to pull over, and automatically notified emergency services, according to the Los Angeles Times. Officers who responded discovered a loaded AR‑style “ghost gun” in the car and arrested the passengers on weapons charges.

The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of privacy and data practices surrounding autonomous vehicles. Waymo’s fleet is equipped with multiple exterior and interior cameras that continuously record trips, raising questions about what footage is stored, how it is accessed by law‑enforcement, and what privacy expectations riders can reasonably have. As regulators and companies grapple with these issues, the case underscores the need for clearer policies on data handling and passenger rights in the emerging robotaxi market.