After China, it’s germany’s turn to raise this sensitive subject. The sentinel mode of Tesla vehicles worry the Berlin police. Indeed, the authorities suspect the vehicles of spying on their close environment and this could cause many problems.
Tesla’s sentry mode in the sights of the Berlin authorities
In a recently published tweet, the Berlin police explain that “A ban on entry to police premises, for vehicles with environmental monitoring as is the case with Tesla, does not currently exist. We are currently examining the question to find out if we are changing the legislation in this direction.. Indeed, Tesla vehicles are suspected of spying on their immediate environment. Berlin police will therefore rule on the fate of these vehicles within its premises.
Is Web3 really decentralized?
Ein generelles Einfahrverbot für Fahrzeuge mit Umfeldüberwachung, wie zB @You’re hereauf Polizeigelände besteht zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt nicht.
Die behördenweite Prüfung ist dazu noch nicht abgeschlossen, sodass die gestrige interne Info nichtig ist.
^yt— Polizei Berlin (@polizeiberlin) June 23, 2022
A few years ago, China decided to ban Tesla vehicles from certain sensitive sectors. Moreover, Chinese officials and military are no longer allowed to buy Tesla vehicles. A government report indicates a risk to the country’s national security. Investigators have found that sensors in Tesla vehicles can record images of their surroundings. Today, we hear this same little music coming to Germany.
While on-board cameras are indeed valuable aids for driving assistance, they are also used for vehicle safety through activating sentinel mode. It is precisely this feature that worries the Berlin police. When this mode is activated, the cameras film and store the information that is in their immediate environment. Germany fears for the confidentiality of the data collected.
Germany’s decision could serve as a model
Sensitive elements could be filmed without the knowledge of the authorities, “the location of ammunition bunkers, civilian cars with license plates, and the faces of civilian investigators or special forces”. Unfortunately, Tesla is still remained vague on the use that was made of this data. The question raised is legitimate.
Rather than prohibit the circulation of Tesla vehicles in certain so-called sensitive areas, Germany could decide to only block the use of sentry mode in these areas. The decision of the Berlin police will be closely watched because it could serve as a model for other European countries. Yet Elon Musk assures that Tesla cars do not spy on anyone, neither in China nor elsewhere. He promises that “the company would be closed if one day it was the case”.