Tesla is facing a class action lawsuit in the United States over Reuters’ disclosure that company employees shared private, sometimes embarrassing videos and photos captured by Tesla vehicle cameras without consent. The plaintiffs demand reimbursement for their cars and ask the court to order Tesla to stop recording, viewing and sharing the captured images, as well as destroying all personal data obtained in violation of privacy laws.
The news in brief:
- A class action lawsuit has been filed against Tesla in the United States over Reuters’ disclosure of illegal sharing of private photos and videos captured by in-car cameras.
- The plaintiffs, including the owner of a Tesla Model Y, claim that customers’ privacy was not adequately protected and are seeking a refund for their Tesla.
- The lawsuit also seeks to force Tesla to stop recording, viewing and sharing the captured footage and to destroy any illegally obtained personal data, claiming that Tesla violated its own privacy policy and customer rights.
Predictably after the Reuters investigation, a class action lawsuit was filed in the US against Tesla (PDF). As a reminder, Reuters published an investigation which reveals that employees of the car manufacturer shared private photos and videos internally captured by on-board cameras, without the consent of customers.
This breach of privacy violates California law, according to the complaint filed last Friday. The images, dating from 2019 to 2022, include embarrassing situations, road accidents and scenes of road rage. Employees shared these images as a joke, while Tesla owners were filmed without their knowledge.
Plaintiffs want reimbursement for their Tesla
US customers affected by this case are eligible to join the case, which seeks compensation from Tesla for the full or partial cost of their cars. The lawsuit also demands that Tesla stop recording, viewing and sharing the images captured by the cameras and to destroy all illegally obtained personal data.
The plaintiff, Henry Yeh, owner of a Tesla Model Y, claims Tesla’s cameras failed to adequately protect his privacy. Tesla employees also shared photos of pets as memes and circulated images to dozens of co-workers. The lawsuit alleges that Tesla violated its own privacy policy and customers’ right to privacy by storing the recordings and allowing employees to access and share them without customers’ consent.
In the complaint, Henry Yeh wrote that the complaint was filed “ against Tesla on its behalf, similarly situated class members and the general public ยป in the context of a possible class action by customers who have leased or purchased a Tesla vehicle in the past four years.
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