Tesla's sentry mode helps catch assailants, leads to possible Berlin police ban

[Daniel Sims]

Why it matters: In the three years since Tesla electric vehicles started recording their surroundings while parked, they've proven an effective security measure and legal tool. However, they've also brought up surveillance concerns with some, including at least one major police department.

Tesla EVs have recorded 360-degree video of outside activity whenever they detect threats since the company introduced "sentry mode" in 2019. Since last fall, owners with a premium subscription can live stream from the cameras. Those cameras have reportedly caught people damaging the vehicles and one person who inexplicably unplugged someone's Tesla from a charging station.

Attorney Daniel Meier says that Tesla cameras are legally similar to doorbell cameras -- their recordings are admissible in court. They could also be just as controversial.

Doorbell cameras have been both useful and contentious. They've helped solve crimes, but some, including politicians, are concerned they may record too much private activity. Others are worried they may become a police surveillance tool. Tesla cameras could bring the same issues to every parking lot.

This is why the Berlin police are trying to regulate the presence of Teslas near police headquarters or other police property, where recording devices are already banned.

An internal police newsletter expressed fears that cameras on Teslas and other vehicles present a security risk, partially because video from Teslas in Europe goes to Dutch servers under Tesla's control. The police claim Tesla permanently stores and then processes surveillance video in the Netherlands, but the company has never confirmed this.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/95057-tesla-sentry-mode-helps-catch-assailants-leads-possible.html

 

[Bullwinkle M]

Yeah but........ If Microsoft can run a Spyware Platform, then why can't we?

And....and....and...., if Google can run a Spyware Platform, then why can't we?

And....and....and....then....um.....if....if Amazon can run a Spyware Platform, then......umm.... why can't we?

And....and....and....ummm, if everyone else is doing it, then.....ahhhhh....what seems to be the problem here?

I mean.......uh........You're not a racist are you?

 

[psycros]

If it requires a warrant for authorities to access those recordings and users can view or delete them whenever they like then I don't see a problem. But of course, that IS the problem because neither of those things will be true.

 

[Axle Grease]

It's not more spying than putting up security cameras around your home. Sentry mode works as intended.

 

[rmcrys]

It's not more spying than putting up security cameras around your home. Sentry mode works as intended.

No it is not. In Germany and in many countries, security cameras ought to only cover your private ground / house. It is not allowed that a security camera is configured towards the street or other infrastructures.

But many governments wouldn't have a problem IF sentry video feed would just be saved to the owner's usb pen. In this case this video feed is being transmitted to another country to be "processed" (which may be millions of things).

 

[ScottSoapbox]

So the government is complaining that citizens have too much surveillance?

Hilariously ironic.

 

[Axle Grease]

No it is not. In Germany and in many countries, security cameras ought to only cover your private ground / house. It is not allowed that a security camera is configured towards the street or other infrastructures.

But many governments wouldn't have a problem IF sentry video feed would just be saved to the owner's usb pen. In this case this video feed is being transmitted to another country to be "processed" (which may be millions of things).

1) Sentry mode video feed is saved to the owner's usb pen.
2) No video footage gets send to Tesla including in the Netherlands. Other than a couple of EV mags claiming that footage gets stored on Tesla controlled servers, there's nothing of substance that backs the claim. You try find some.
3) After Elon Musk's bid for Twitter and saying that he'd vote Republican YOU SHOULD EXPECT Techspot writers to latch onto any negative crap about Tesla. They're of that calibre.
4) Video footage can now be streamed to a user's mobile phone ( for an extra fee ) whereby only alerts were sent previously. It is literally very difficult to find a negative opinion of this feature. Go on, rmcrys, do a grizzle.

(edit)
In addition

Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn about the features you can use to record videos when driving and monitor the security of your vehicle when parked.

www.tesla.com

"To protect your privacy, video recordings are saved locally to onboard memory or the USB flash drive. Recordings are not sent to Tesla."'

 

[hahahanoobs]

Yeah but........ If Microsoft can run a Spyware Platform, then why can't we?

And....and....and...., if Google can run a Spyware Platform, then why can't we?

And....and....and....then....um.....if....if Amazon can run a Spyware Platform, then......umm.... why can't we?

And....and....and....ummm, if everyone else is doing it, then.....ahhhhh....what seems to be the problem here?

I mean.......uh........You're not a racist are you?

Just stop. Everything connected to the internet or a cell tower spy's on you. Get over it.

 

[hahahanoobs]

No it is not. In Germany and in many countries, security cameras ought to only cover your private ground / house. It is not allowed that a security camera is configured towards the street or other infrastructures.

But many governments wouldn't have a problem IF sentry video feed would just be saved to the owner's usb pen. In this case this video feed is being transmitted to another country to be "processed" (which may be millions of things).

The article is quite specific:

"This is why the Berlin police are trying to regulate the presence of Teslas near police headquarters or other police property, where recording devices are already banned."

If there is already a recording ban around them, then a car with a camera should be treated the same. I don't see how anything could be controversial about this law involving Tesla's in Berlin near police stations and other secure areas with recording bans already in place.

I know in the US and Canada, there is no expectation of privacy in public. Whether it's by a car or a phone or a home security camera.

 

[hahahanoobs]

It's not more spying than putting up security cameras around your home. Sentry mode works as intended.

Except the article isn't about homes. It's about recording devices near police property.

 

[Morphine Child]

As someone who doesn't do illegal **** I couldn't care less about cameras, in fact bring them on if it will help keep people in order.

No one watches those vids unless something happens, and if someone smashes your car for no reason, you'd be happy to have the perp on a public camera and brought to justice.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I don't have a problem with bodycams or dashcams, in fact, I think that they're great. I don't see a problem here either as long as the footage isn't automatically broadcast over a network. It makes the landscape more dangerous to criminals and I'm all for that.

 

[RF Match]

Just like you can carry your phone into a police station and be told you cannot record anything, you can just turn off sentry mode on the Tesla after parking at the station. Yeah, there are people that won't turn off sentry mode. Yeah, there are people that will record things with their phone around the police stations anyway. Move on.

 

[Bullwinkle M]

Just stop. Everything connected to the internet or a cell tower spy's on you. Get over it.

Nope
I have a Windows XP Box connected to the Internet that does NOT allow Spyware from Microsoft or anyone else

It also never gets wrecked by malware of any type
EVER!

 

[Gameredic]

1) Sentry mode video feed is saved to the owner's usb pen.
2) No video footage gets send to Tesla including in the Netherlands. Other than a couple of EV mags claiming that footage gets stored on Tesla controlled servers, there's nothing of substance that backs the claim. You try find some.
3) After Elon Musk's bid for Twitter and saying that he'd vote Republican YOU SHOULD EXPECT Techspot writers to latch onto any negative crap about Tesla. They're of that calibre.
4) Video footage can now be streamed to a user's mobile phone ( for an extra fee ) whereby only alerts were sent previously. It is literally very difficult to find a negative opinion of this feature. Go on, rmcrys, do a grizzle.

(edit)
In addition

Model 3 Owner's Manual | Tesla

Learn about the features you can use to record videos when driving and monitor the security of your vehicle when parked.

www.tesla.com

"To protect your privacy, video recordings are saved locally to onboard memory or the USB flash drive. Recordings are not sent to Tesla."'

hold up really?

I was always under the impression that Techspot was more of a right-wing tech site, at least with right-wing sentiments, particularly in regards to Biden.

 

[Sathi43]

trying to regulate the presence of Teslas near police headquarters or other police property, where recording devices are already banned.

Are dashcams illegal too? Why is Teslas being singled out here?