First off the cellular data requirements to live stream the interior camera would be very limited. Why would a spy agency really want to stream video from the interior of a car... GPS tracking of a car is probably much more useful. Perhaps a still frame from the inside camera to see what suspects are in the vehicle...
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Should I be concerned about occupant privacy with the interior camera?
- Thread starter Neon001
- Start date
Leafdriver333
Somewhat Active Member
hmgolds
Member
I'm 68. Would love to have to be concerned about the camera snooping on my wife and I. Luckily, my 1969 Nova did not have an interior camera.
Seriously, with all the tracking that's probably on your phone, it's like Noah worrying about not having an umbrella.
Seriously, with all the tracking that's probably on your phone, it's like Noah worrying about not having an umbrella.
I consider myself as someone who is cautious about these things. I don't use Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network. I take great precautions with technology that records things like audio and video. It seems people put forward two arguments:
1. There are a lot of other devices with cameras and mics that can be hacked or are actively recording you.
2. Don't worry about privacy because no one is interested in any of your banal activities.
#2 is really amazing, because it lets people just casually discard privacy rights of others because they don't consider them important. Thanks, but no thanks. If you want to broadcast your life, do it openly but don't give mine up too.
#1 is more interesting, because some of us intentionally make purchases based on the premise that we are buying things that do not spy on us or leak our private activities. For example, I will not allow an Alexa or Google Home device in my house.
If Tesla ever activates that camera without informing owners, it's going to have some pretty big legal issues - criminal, not just civil, in many jurisdictions. And if a third party like an insurance provider tries to use illegally recorded things then hopefully a court will do its job by blocking it.
1. There are a lot of other devices with cameras and mics that can be hacked or are actively recording you.
2. Don't worry about privacy because no one is interested in any of your banal activities.
#2 is really amazing, because it lets people just casually discard privacy rights of others because they don't consider them important. Thanks, but no thanks. If you want to broadcast your life, do it openly but don't give mine up too.
#1 is more interesting, because some of us intentionally make purchases based on the premise that we are buying things that do not spy on us or leak our private activities. For example, I will not allow an Alexa or Google Home device in my house.
If Tesla ever activates that camera without informing owners, it's going to have some pretty big legal issues - criminal, not just civil, in many jurisdictions. And if a third party like an insurance provider tries to use illegally recorded things then hopefully a court will do its job by blocking it.
strider
Active Member
But just like Alexa, Google Home, your TV, etc. The EUSAs that they require you to agree to in order to use the product allow them to grab audio, video, etc to enhance their services, etc, etc. All of these companies are using user data to train their systems and selling whatever they want to 3rd parties.
Tesla knows everything about your car all the time. Where it is, the position of all controls, number and weights of occupants, you name it. To block this info (disconnecting the GPS and/or cellular antenna) would dramatically change how we use the car. So you have to trust Tesla if you're going to buy one of their cars.
By all means tape over the camera. But the only real solution to this is for regulatory control over how this data is used and how the company must notify and/or get your permission.
Another option would be for companies to have another way to support the service. For example, I would pay some decent amount of money each month for Facebook if they had absolutely no access to any of my data on their site. They could offer that as a premium service and then still have the free version where they sold your data. But I'm getting off on a tangent.
CarlK
Active Member
Just remember to use a tape to cover the camera when a woman other than your wife is in the car.
Good idea. Just ordered these:
Cover Camera Shutter Lens Privacy Sticker For Web Laptop iPad PC Mac Tablet | eBay
Cover Camera Shutter Lens Privacy Sticker For Web Laptop iPad PC Mac Tablet | eBay
devilmountain
Member
I won't allow it in my house either.
Don't trust Google or Amazon enough to allow a mic or camera of theirs in my house.
You know that silly fear about Alexa recording everything and leaking it online? It just happened
Runebane
Member
I figure the NSA agent assigned to watch over me is going to need years of therapy so I win in the end. Let'em watch!
Early last year one of the hackers here noted the interior cam shots were sent with the crash reports. Don’t know if Tesla is still doing that, but it is a potential concern. Wonder if they got the interior shots of the Florida truck fatality?
Model 3 Interior camera feed is included as part of “crash snapshots”
Model 3 Interior camera feed is included as part of “crash snapshots”
Lots of folks would like this option, but it would crash the value of the companies - subscriptions can be canceled, data cannot.
Interesting about not being able to limit the ability of what Tesla records - could have implications for certain types of lawyers, and doctors...
ibGeek
Member
The camera doesn't concern me at all. My understanding of it is that it's there for US to use, not Tesla. So that when our cars can be used as "robo taxis" we can check in on our fares.
Go to any tech conferences/trade shows they are giving them out like candy. It's meant to cover your laptop cameras.
I thought the interor camera was to look at the driver's face, only. This is needed for full handsfree driving. At the Tesla Club meeting held in Sparks, NV a few years ago, an MIT speaker presented his work in looking at faces while driving, determining sleepy people, drunk people and other reasons to disconnect the auto drive feature. I think that is a good thing
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
Size, location, and type of camera is simply awful for that purpose, so nope.
It's there for when the robotaxi thing happens to keep an eye on riders.
Musk confirmed this last month-
Elon Musk explains the camera inside Tesla’s Model 3
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