The members of the People’s Liberation Army, desperate to go to work with all the style and panache offered by Elon Musk’s overworked cars, seem unlucky. Citing “national security” concerns, the Chinese government has banned the use of Tesla vehicles by state and military employees on certain government properties.
According to reports from Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, The People’s Republic of China would be concerned that Tesla’s high-tech cars could be a source of data leaks or foreign espionage. Of particular concern is the large number of internal sensors and cameras installed in Tesla vehicles – such products could be used to channel sensitive data “back to the US”, government officials worry.
The ban order was issued by the Chinese military and restricts government officials from using vehicles on certain government and military properties, as well as from “Housing management for families of staff working in sensitive industries and state agencies.” The ban follows a “review of government security” by Tesla by the government, reports WSJ, whose assessment apparently did not go well.
evaluation expressed concern about the data collected by vehicles and Tesla – including vehicle location data and mobile phone contact lists that are synchronized with the car’s internal systems.
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We recently covered the way the modern car is essentially a treasure trove of personal data (which can be shared, sold or stolen), so China’s concerns are not without merit.
In addition, Tesla had a handful of unclear security incidents over the years. In 2016, security researchers – in China, no less –proved that could remotely hack the company’s cars via its wifi; hackers had the ability to pump brakes, open the boot and turn the vehicle windshield wipers on and off. A recent episode in which a hacker managed to gain access to hundreds of the company’s internal security cameras through a third-party provider also raised concerns.
The ban is also indicative of how the technology industry has become an area of political conflict between the US and China. Under President Trump, the US moved into prevents aggressive for any Chinese technology company, he considered a “national security” threat – the blacklisting of dozens of companies and an attempt to censor their access to the US public, while also interrupting their financial investments. The fact that China would respond in kind seems almost equal to the course.