Following several Waymo robotaxis being set ablaze during this week’s anti-US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests in Los Angeles, the company is now limiting its robotaxi service in locations across the US.

Wired reports that the adjustments will impact operations in San Francisco, Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Meanwhile, the company, owned by Google’s parent firm, Alphabet, will pause operations altogether in Los Angeles, after it suspended operations in the downtown area earlier this week. Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp didn’t comment on how long the service interruptions are set to last.

The Los Angeles Times reports that at least six Waymo vehicles were attacked during the protests earlier this week, and at least three were set on fire.

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that Waymo is temporarily putting a pause on some of its nationwide coverage. Not only is the cost of a single Waymo-branded taxi estimated at well north of $100,000, but this isn’t the first time Waymo has seen its vehicles become victims of civil unrest.

In February 2024, a driverless Waymo vehicle was set on fire in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Meanwhile, in July 2024, a man was charged with allegedly slashing the tires of 17 Waymo vehicles in San Francisco. Though Waymo vehicles may simply have been caught up in the unrest during the protests, there has been plenty of opposition to the introduction of driverless taxi services like Waymo’s throughout California, with many residents harboring safety concerns as well as fears about potential job losses.

Protesters may also have been aware of how video and camera data from self-driving vehicles have been leveraged by police forces all over the country. In April, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) published footage of a hit-and-run obtained from a Waymo vehicle’s camera on social media, appealing to the public for information.

But it’s hard to tell what, if any, impact vandalism will have on the rise of robotaxis in the US. Tesla seems finally set to roll out its robotaxi service in Austin later this month (where Waymo is already available), though protests are planned against the roll-out, and journalists are calling for more information about Tesla’s relationship with city authorities.

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About Will McCurdy

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I’m a reporter covering weekend news. Before joining PCMag in 2024, I picked up bylines in BBC News, The Guardian, The Times of London, The Daily Beast, Vice, Slate, Fast Company, The Evening Standard, The i, TechRadar, and Decrypt Media.

I’ve been a PC gamer since you had to install games from multiple CD-ROMs by hand. As a reporter, I’m passionate about the intersection of tech and human lives. I’ve covered everything from crypto scandals to the art world, as well as conspiracy theories, UK politics, and Russia and foreign affairs.

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