The article does make note of that. The concern they bring up isn't the node itself, but that some regions might be installing equipment on those nodes without public consultation:
If you already care about what Flock cameras collect, NEMA nodes deserve more scrutiny - because they don't require a ribbon-cutting ceremony to get cameras added later. The standardized interface means capabilities can be upgraded or swapped in during routine maintenance, with no new hardware footprint announcing the change. Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) deployments extend this further, pulling in vehicle telemetry from roadside units and connected cars. Specific regulatory frameworks governing data collected by these nodes remain limited and inconsistent across jurisdictions, much like those exposed when secretly tracking users without meaningful oversight.
So it's not the node that is the problem, but putting in rules about how they can be used.