The use of cameras on Tesla vehicles has come under scrutiny after reports revealed that some employees have shared sensitive photos and videos captured by the cameras with each other over the span of several years.
Former employees told Reuters that images were shared in group chats and one-on-one communications between 2019 and last year. The report alleges that videos were shared among employees that were filmed inside the garages of Tesla owners, including a video featuring a white Lotus Esprit submersible from the James Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me, which Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s bought in 2013.
The sharing of this footage was a breach of privacy, and former employees admitted that they would not buy a Tesla after witnessing how the company treated customer data. Tesla has claimed that its camera system is designed to protect user privacy, and even if owners opt to share camera recordings with Tesla for “fleet learning” purposes, the recordings are supposed to remain anonymous and unlinked to specific vehicles or owners unless received due to a safety event, such as a crash or airbag deployment.
Interviews conducted with former Tesla employees have revealed that sharing private and potentially embarrassing video footage of customers captured by their own cars without their consent was quite common.
