Tesla data helped police after Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion

Your car is spying on you.

That’s one takeaway from the rapid, detailed data Tesla collected on the driver of one of its Cybertrucks that exploded in Las Vegas last week. Privacy experts say the in-depth study by Elon Musk’s company was impressive, but it also sheds light on a difficult question because vehicles are less like cars and more like computers on wheels.

Is your car company violating your privacy rights?

“You may want law enforcement to have the data they need to crack down on criminals, but can anyone have access to it? said Jodi Daniels, CEO of privacy consulting firm Red Clover Advisors. “Where is the line?”

Most newer cars not only know where you’ve been and where you’re going, but also often have access to your contacts, call logs, text messages, and other sensitive information through vehicle synchronization. cell phone.

Data collected by Musk’s electric car company after the rented Denver Cybertruck filled with fireworks caught fire outside the Trump International Hotel on Wednesday proved valuable to police in helping track the driver’s movements .

Hours after the New Year’s Eve explosion that burned the driver beyond recognition and injured seven others, Tesla was able to track Colorado Springs resident Matthew Livelsberger’s movements from Denver to Las Vegas in detail , and also confirm that the problem was with the explosives in the truck, not the truck itself. Tesla used data collected from charging stations and in-car software – and with great success.

“I have to thank Elon Musk in particular,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters. “He gave us quite a bit of additional information.”

Some privacy experts were less enthusiastic.

“This reveals the type of large-scale surveillance that is going on,” said David Choffnes, executive director of the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. “When something bad happens, it’s helpful, but it’s a double-edged sword. Companies that collect this data can misuse it.

General Motors, for example, was sued in August by the Texas attorney general for allegedly selling the data of 1.8 million drivers to insurance companies without their consent.

Cars equipped with cameras to enable self-driving features have added a new safety risk. Tesla itself came under fire after Reuters reported how employees from 2019 to 2022 shared sensitive videos and recordings of drivers with each other, including videos of road rage incidents and, in one case, of nudity.

Tesla did not respond to emailed questions about its privacy policy. On its website, Tesla claims to follow strict rules regarding the confidentiality of names and information.

“No one other than you would have knowledge of your activities, location or travel history,” according to a statement. “Your information remains confidential and secure.”

Sam Abuelsamid, an automotive analyst at Telemetry Insight, said he doesn’t think Tesla is “particularly worse” than other automakers in handling customer data, but he remains concerned.

“This is one of the biggest ethical issues we face regarding modern vehicles. They are connected,” he said. “Consumers must have control of their data. »

Tensions were high when the Cybertruck parked outside the front door of Trump’s hotel started smoking and then caught fire. Hours earlier, the driver of another vehicle using the same peer-to-peer car rental service, Turo, killed 15 people after crashing into a crowd in New Orleans, in what law enforcement says terrorist attack.

Shortly before 1 p.m., Las Vegas police announced they were investigating a second incident.

“The fire is out,” police announced on the social media platform X, one of Elon Musk’s other companies. “Please avoid the area.”

Soon after, Tesla took action.