Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) cameras in the car for driver monitoring are a privacy concern, according to consumer reports.
What happened: The New York-based nonprofit said the security benefits of driver monitoring through cameras are undermined by privacy concerns.
“If Tesla has the ability to determine whether the driver is not paying attention, it needs to warn the driver at the moment, as other automakers already do,” according to Jake Fisher, senior director of Consumer Reports’ auto testing center.
A senior attorney at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, John Davisson, told Consumer Reports that, while there may be legal protections about who can access camera data, there is a possibility that “insurers, police, regulators and other parties involved in accidents will be able to obtain this data. “
Davisson also raised the possibility of access to the data by malicious agents and Tesla himself using them for purposes other than security research.
Why does it matter: The approach of the automaker led by Elon Musk is different from other automakers, such as Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (OTC: BMWYY), Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), and General Motors Compay (NYSE: GM) in which driver monitoring systems from other automakers do not record, save or transmit data or video, noted Consumer Reports.
These automakers’ systems rely on infrared technology instead of video to identify the driver’s head position and determine eye movement.
The Chinese government last week restricted Tesla vehicles from accessing sensitive military and state-owned companies because of concerns over the capacity of cameras installed in and inside vehicles, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Musk dismissed Chinese concerns by saying that there was a strong incentive for Tesla to “be very confidential with any information. … If Tesla used cars to spy on China or anywhere, we will be closed. ‘
Notably also last week, Tesla revoked access to its autonomous driving software for drivers who did not pay enough attention to the road
Price action: Tesla shares closed nearly 1.2% lower at $ 662.16 on Tuesday.
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