Why is Tesla’s in car surveillance camera a major privacy risk?
Not long ago, Tesla said that as part of its research on automatic driving technology, Tesla would study some pictures recorded by the camera in the car afterwards. However, this use has raised concerns about privacy. It also destroys the function of using cameras and software to remind drivers when they don’t pay attention to the road conditions.
This started in early March this year. Tesla expanded its test of “full automatic driving (FSD)” in the United States, allowing users who purchased FSD to directly download and use the test version of FSD to participate in the test project of FSD (before that, the test version of FSD was only provided to a few invited users). All of a sudden, it aroused the enthusiasm of the majority of American users who bought full-automatic driving. In those weeks, the forum in North America was dissatisfied with “why doesn’t the download button appear” every day. However, before long, a small number of users who had joined the test project found that their test qualification was cancelled because they didn’t look at the road when using the test version of fully automatic driving, and Mr. Ma also confirmed on twitter that “intention driving” was realized through the camera in the car. In fact, this is nothing. Let alone the terms of use of the beta fully automatic driving, even the most basic Tesla user privacy terms clearly indicate that Tesla can obtain image information for security reasons. It is also reasonable to cancel the test qualification due to inattention to driving. But this news also aroused many people’s curiosity. What can the camera in the car see?
Jake Fisher, senior director of consumer reports Automotive Testing Center, said:
“If Tesla has the ability to judge whether the driver is not paying attention, it needs to warn the driver immediately like other carmakers.”
The interior camera is installed on the rear-view mirrors of model 3 and model y. it is turned off by default, but if it is turned on, it will capture and share video clips before the accident or during automatic braking.
Elon Musk has previously said that the camera will be used when Tesla is fully autonomous.
Tesla currently allows drivers to choose not to share in Car Videos, but even drivers who choose to share may not know how much information they share.
Although Tesla said that this video was not paired with the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the car, the faces of the passengers in the car were visible, and other people except the driver might disagree with it.
Therefore, this raises a question: if a Tesla car crashes, how to deal with this data?
Suppose the driver was using the autopilot and was looking at his cell phone instead of the road. Will Tesla use video to prove that the driver is not concentrating, or is there any problem with his automatic driving system? This is the key to worrying.
Other car manufacturers also have in car cameras for monitoring drivers. What about their systems? In fact, other car brands do use devices to monitor drivers to ensure that they pay attention to the road.
However, these systems use infrared cameras and do not record any videos. They work in real time and are mainly used to remind drivers whether they are tired or out of sight to warn drivers.
BMW’s driver assistance professional kit with driver monitor can be used on 2021 3 series, 4 series, 5 series, 7 series, 8 series, X5, X6 and X7 models.
A BMW spokesman said it can track head position, eyelid movement and whether the eyes are open. It does not record, store or transmit any data, but it warns if the driver shows signs of damage or distraction.
GM’s built-in camera is also used to monitor drivers’ driving safety without video recording. Their models mainly include Cadillac cT4, CT5 and Carlyle in 2021, as well as the upcoming GMC Hummer EV in 2022.
Although Tesla’s camera is aimed at drivers and passengers, it is not a real driver monitoring system. It is more like a monitoring or evidence gathering tool than a security function.
Suppose Tesla will use video clips to protect itself from any responsibility in case of such accidents, which may be a leap for automatic driving, but it is not a big leap for safety.
Post time: Jul-27-2021