A Tesla [TSLA:US] owner from California has filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, claiming that it violated the privacy of its customers, as reported by Reuters on April 8. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, following a Reuters report that revealed some Tesla employees privately shared videos and images recorded by customers’ car cameras between 2019 and 2022. The plaintiff, Henry Yeh, who owns a Tesla Model Y, alleges that the employees accessed the footage for “tasteless and tortious entertainment” and to humiliate those recorded. The lawsuit seeks to hold Tesla accountable for its actions and to recover damages, including actual and punitive damages. 

The lawsuit against Tesla is the latest in a series of privacy concerns for the company. In 2018, Tesla was sued over allegations that it used software to spy on employees at its Nevada Gigafactory, and in 2021, it faced criticism for using in-car cameras to monitor drivers’ attention. The recent class-action lawsuit alleges that Tesla violated California’s constitutional right to privacy, which is considered one of the strongest in the country. The Reuters report that uncovered the alleged privacy violations also stated that some employees expressed concern about the practice and reported it to supervisors, but that no action was taken to stop it. While the lawsuit seeks to represent a large group of Tesla owners, it is still early in the legal process and the outcome is uncertain.

Sources: 

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-hit-with-class-action-lawsuit-over-alleged-privacy-intrusion-2023-04-08/

https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/teslas-in-car-cameras-raise-privacy-concerns-a9884415005/

https://www.reuters.com/article/tesla-whistleblower/whistleblower-accuses-tesla-of-spying-on-employees-at-gigafactory-attorney-idUSL5N1V75V8