I'm covering my interior camera as soon as I get my 3.

[alseTrick]

I'm against all this nanny-pampering anyway. I have driven cars safely for over two decades, and I never needed a sleepyness alert, a blind spot warning, lane departure warning or anything similar. Sorry to say, but If you can't drive a car safely without using such systems, you shouldn't have been awarded a driving-licence in the first place imho.

Yea, stupid "nanny-pampering". Nobody has ever died, or killed others, due to falling asleep at the wheel and/or failing to see other drivers on the roadway via blindspots or lane departure. Headlights are stupid, too. I don't need lights. Don't tell me I have to wear a seatbelt, either. Who wants a stupid bag of air in your face if you get in an accident? Not I. And anti-lock brakes are for losers. Harrumph!

Etc etc.

 

[alseTrick]

For those cynically asking about covering iPhone selfie cameras... You do know the vast majority of the time your phone is in a pocket, purse, or being held up to your ear, right? How is it supposed to film you if you’re not actually in frame?

I agree that more often than not phones are either in pockets/purses or pointed up/down on a surface like a desk/table. But people definitely have their phones pointed directly at their face to text, surf the internet, get on social media, games, etc., more often then they have their phone up to their ear while calling people. At least in the smartphone era.

 

[drawfour]

Yea, stupid "nanny-pampering". Nobody has ever died, or killed others, due to falling asleep at the wheel and/or failing to see other drivers on the roadway via blindspots or lane departure. Headlights are stupid, too. I don't need lights. Don't tell me I have to wear a seatbelt, either. Who wants a stupid bag of air in your face if you get in an accident? Not I. And anti-lock brakes are for losers. Harrumph!

Etc etc.

I'm just glad to know that there's an absolutely excellent driver on the road who has never, not one time, missed checking a blind spot. I bet every time he changes lanes, there is someone in his blind spot, and he always avoids them. Because there's absolutely no chance that he didn't forget to check his blind spot, but no one was there anyway, so it didn't really matter. Nope. No chance of that.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Just don't pick your nose and you will be OK : >)

PS. There is no more personal privacy. Gone for years...

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I've covered up the camera on my notebook for similar reasons, I don't need it for anything anyway. Will do the same with the Model 3 camera. (As I would with any other car that came with an interior camera.) There was an outcry years ago when automakers suggested using interior cameras for their sleepy-driver-alert systems, so they implemented such systems using alternative means).
I'm against all this nanny-pampering anyway. I have driven cars safely for over two decades, and I never needed a sleepyness alert, a blind spot warning, lane departure warning or anything similar. Sorry to say, but If you can't drive a car safely without using such systems, you shouldn't have been awarded a driving-licence in the first place imho.

You, me, and probably 95% of other people don't need the nanny-pampering. But there's those few people who will misuse the system, crash the car, hurt themselves or someone else, and then blame Tesla. Those few pricks can and will ruin the entire concept of Autopilot for everyone unless Tesla protects themselves. With all the negativity and contempt for Tesla out there, all some poppensnot has to do is claim some BS about how AP crashed his car and it will result in national headlines and calls for Elon's head on a platter.

I don't like the invasion of privacy either, but if Tesla decides (they haven't done so yet) to implement the camera as a protection against drivers misusing the AP system, I'll begrudgingly tolerate it because it might be the only thing standing in between the few dumbasses and the AP system.

 

[Moderatefan]

I plan on doing the same. I wonder if the mic will record us. Big brother is always near

There's a de-bugging service available. Only for $499.99 they will ensure all internal cameras and mics are disabled.

 

[Moderatefan]

With satellites miles above the earth that can identify license plates of vehicles on the road, “they” don’t need the interior camera in your car to spy on you

They can find the vehicle, yeah. But how will they know whether I am nose picking or not?

 

[Krugerrand]

Choice 1: ...because paranoia
Choice 2: ...because THINKS they lead a more interesting life than anyone else
Choice 3: ...because car porn

 

[Moderatefan]

until I get an official explanation for how/what/when the footage will be used, as well as who has access to it.

And the big brother, of course, has to tell you only truth and nothing but the truth.

 

[boaterva]

It is being used in the crash data according to our local forum hackers. Model 3 Interior camera feed is included as part of “crash snapshots”

May be the case, as something that is part of 'after action' reporting. But it's main live reporting is so you can tell what people are doing when they use your car as part of the Tesla Network. This is why it wasn't included when the S and X got AP2.5.

In ANY case, if it makes you feel better, do put a piece of tape over it. And hope the car doesn't respond with 'AP disabled, cameras inop'.

Oh yeah, covering the camera on your laptop, turning the webcam away is a very good idea. There are many RAT (remote access tools) that hackers use that can activate these without turning on the light on the laptop/camera. That is a much more likely thing to happen to you than your car sending photos back to Tesla....

 

[AustinPowers]

Do you cover up the front facing “FaceTime” camera on your iPhone too?

Don't need to, because I don't have an iPhone (or any other smartphone with front facing camera). I'm also not on Facebook, or Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or whatever. I don't have any need to let the whole world participate in what I do every day. Wrong generation perhaps.

Posting my thoughts about Tesla and related topics on this very forum is about as far as I go in letting the world know what I think about certain things.

And as for the camera on my Model 3: I don't see why covering it up should be a hindrance. I don't intend to buy EAP or FSD and I most certainly don't want to have an "attentiveness sensor" or the like, so I don't see what use the camera should be for me. I also don't intend to Skype while driving

 

[sitter_k]

I agree that more often than not phones are either in pockets/purses or pointed up/down on a surface like a desk/table. But people definitely have their phones pointed directly at their face to text, surf the internet, get on social media, games, etc., more often then they have their phone up to their ear while calling people. At least in the smartphone era.

Yes but what information can be gleaned from the front camera of my phone? I don't point it at my bed or use it while naked, I'm more concerned about the mic if anything.

 

[Henchman]

Better delete your facebook, Twitter and all your other social accounts as well dump your cellphone with camera.

 

[bonnie]

Okay all you conspiracy-theorists ... get it under control.

if companies are recording you (audio or video) without informing you, there are legal issues. Most states (California for instance) require two-party permission. I'm pretty sure Tesla isn't going to record you without your permission.

As has been pointed out, that camera is for future releases of autopilot and/or full self driving. So covering it might mean that at some point in the future, your software no longer works.

 

[WileyTheMan]

They can watch my perma-grin while I drive.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

if companies are recording you (audio or video) without informing you, there are legal issues. Most states (California for instance) require two-party permission. I'm pretty sure Tesla isn't going to record you without your permission.

I agree that Tesla is probably not going to record people without informed consent and the ability to opt-out (albeit that might limit the functionality you get). However, the issue of whether it is legal for a company to record without informed consent is quite a bit more complicated.

The issue comes down as to whether a reasonable person, in the same time, place, and location, would have a reasonable expectation of privacy or not. If so, then the recording is probably illegal without informed consent. If not, then recording without consent is perfectly legal.

As an example, many private businesses have continuously-recording security cameras in their parking lots. No informed consent is needed, because no one can have an expectation of privacy when standing outside in a parking lot. The same goes for recording people walking down a public street with your phone. It's perfectly legal without the permission of the people you are filming, because they cannot have expectation of privacy when walking down a public street.

Many people think that someone can't film them without their consent when they're in public, but that isn't the case. However, a further issue arrives if the recording is then exhibited or used for a commercial purpose. Then, you need consent even if the recording was made in public, because you're using that person's likeness for financial gain or marketing purposes.

 

[bonnie]

I agree that Tesla is probably not going to record people without informed consent and the ability to opt-out (albeit that might limit the functionality you get). However, the issue of whether it is legal for a company to record without informed consent is quite a bit more complicated.

The issue comes down as to whether a reasonable person, in the same time, place, and location, would have a reasonable expectation of privacy or not. If so, then the recording is probably illegal without informed consent. If not, then recording without consent is perfectly legal.

As an example, many private businesses have continuously-recording security cameras in their parking lots. No informed consent is needed, because no one can have an expectation of privacy when standing outside in a parking lot. The same goes for recording people walking down a public street with your phone. It's perfectly legal without the permission of the people you are filming, because they cannot have expectation of privacy when walking down a public street.

Many people think that someone can't film them without their consent when they're in public, but that isn't the case. However, a further issue arrives if the recording is then exhibited or used for a commercial purpose. Then, you need consent even if the recording was made in public, because you're using that person's likeness for financial gain or marketing purposes.

I don't disagree regarding recording in public. But that is not applicable with a camera inside the car. If I'm sitting inside my car & recorded from inside the car without consent, that could not be successfully defended as 'in public'. Different model.

I have an expectation of privacy inside my car (except for that which could be recorded from outside). Certainly conversations could not be recorded inside the car. Nor could filming of my face that would be much more than could be recorded 'in public'.

All that said, I won't cover a camera inside the car, since that would preclude using the software I paid for.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I don't disagree regarding recording in public. But that is not applicable with a camera inside the car. If I'm sitting inside my car & recorded from inside the car without consent, that could not be successfully defended as 'in public'. Different model.

I have an expectation of privacy inside my car (except for that which could be recorded from outside). Certainly conversations could not be recorded inside the car. Nor could filming of my face that would be much more than could be recorded 'in public'.

The inside of a car becomes quite a gray area in this evaluation. How much privacy can a person reasonably expect to have inside a car? Probably more than standing on a public street corner. Probably less than being inside your home.

But I agree with you that because an interior camera in the car can capture detail and quantity of recordings that someone standing outside the car cannot, the interior camera probably crosses the privacy line where it would need consent to record. Because of the uncertainty, this is why I would assume (as you noted) that Tesla will probably seek permission with an opt-out option before enabling recording. It's too much of a legal minefield if they didn't.

 

[bonnie]

The inside of a car becomes quite a gray area in this evaluation. How much privacy can a person reasonably expect to have inside a car? Probably more than standing on a public street corner. Probably less than being inside your home.

But I agree with you that because an interior camera in the car can capture detail and quantity of recordings that someone standing outside the car cannot, the interior camera probably crosses the privacy line where it would need consent to record. Because of the uncertainty, this is why I would assume (as you noted) that Tesla will probably seek permission with an opt-out option before enabling recording. It's too much of a legal minefield if they didn't.

Plus, if you throw in the fact that a camera focused on the driver's face & inside the car is not recording anything else EXCEPT the driver, it becomes a losing argument to try to claim it's a public camera.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I hope you keep your cell phone in a faraday cage or off with the battery removed every moment you’re not actively using it to call someone, too, otherwise your efforts are wasted.

Cant take the battery out of new phones. There is a purpose for that.