SINGAPORE – The Chinese government restricts the use of Tesla Inc.
TSLA -6.93%
vehicles by the military, state-owned enterprises in sensitive industries and key agencies, citing concern that the American electric vehicle manufacturer’s cars could be a source of national security leaks, according to people familiar with the effort.
The move follows a government security review of Tesla vehicles, which Chinese officials said they found the car’s sensors could record visual images of surrounding locations, people said. The Chinese government also said that Tesla – through vehicles – could obtain various data, such as when, how and where cars are used, as well as personal information of drivers and the contact list of mobile phones synchronized with cars. , people said. The government is worried that some data could be sent back to the US, people said.
The government has informed some of its agencies to ask employees not to drive Tesla cars to work, they said. Some of the people said that Tesla cars were also banned from entering the homes of staff families working in sensitive industries and state agencies. Their agencies told them that one of the government’s concerns is that Tesla vehicles can be constantly in recording mode, using cameras and other sensors to record various details, including short videos.
The information office of the Chinese State Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tesla declined to comment on the government’s move. He sent The Wall Street Journal a comment he made earlier to the Chinese press in response to previous data security concerns. “Tesla’s privacy policy complies with Chinese laws and regulations. Tesla attaches great importance to the protection of users’ privacy, “he said. It is also said that the on-board cameras are not turned on for all Tesla vehicles in China.
The Chinese market, where CEO Elon Musk has been widely popularized, has become increasingly important to Tesla. Deliveries from the country last year helped the company achieve approximately 500,000 vehicle deliveries globally, a record. Tesla in Palo Alto, California, which began grounding at its Shanghai plant in January 2019, is currently manufacturing the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y compact sports utility vehicle at the factory.
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Write to Keith Zhai at [email protected]
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