Tesla Inc. had repeatedly stated that the video cameras installed on its entire EV lineup can in no way be used for invading the privacy of the owners. In reality, Reuters is reporting, certain employees of the company have unrestricted access to the recordings and have been known to trade their ‘favorites’ in corporate chats.
Originally, the surround-view camera system used by Tesla cars is intended to help drivers park and to power the Autopilot/FSD systems on board, as well as some other driving aids. However, the truth is that the same cameras are normally allowed to keep rolling when the car stays parked (for theft prevention) and when it is moving (to identify culprits in road incidents).
Up until now, the company had been claiming that only owners had access to the video footage. In practice, multiple Tesla employees confessed this week that they had unrestricted access to the vids and even shared the ones they found interesting in the company’s internal network.
Making matters worse is that a special piece of software designed by Tesla enables pinpointing the precise location and time of the filming, so it should be trivial to de-anonymize the owner of any particular car that leaked footage online.
It looks like a scandal is brewing, and we will keep you updated with any major developments.