Tesla faces Chinese heat over Sentry Mode
Tesla is facing mounting pressure from China as national security and privacy become major issues for the country.
Over the past weekend, local media reported that Tesla vehicles were banned from parking at Yueyang Sanhe Airport in the south of China. Officials there cited “confidentiality concerns” and said many other airports have similar policies. The cars still could enter the airport but couldn’t park and be left unattended.
The ban likely was in response to Tesla’s Sentry Mode. The feature, in many Tesla models, activates cameras on the outside of the car to watch for suspicious activity while the car is unattended.
Tesla, in response, has tried to calm fears that a foreign company is surveilling Chinese citizens. In a post on its Chinese-based website, the company said the data collected from Sentry Mode is stored in the car, with no way for the company to remotely view the footage taken by the car. Chinese law requires that any data collected from cars be stored in Chinese-based facilities, and Tesla says it has complied.
China has updated its data security and anti-espionage legislation, sparking a range of restrictions on foreign firms like Tesla operating in China.
Recently, Tesla cars were banned from certain parts of the city of Chengdu ahead of a visit by President Xi Jinping. Officials cited similar privacy and national security concerns when asked about the justification for the ban.
