Tesla Reassures Chinese Consumers Over In-Car Cameras on Security Concerns

   By Yifan Wang 
 

Tesla Inc. said Wednesday that in-car cameras in its vehicles aren't activated outside of North America, in a move to reassure Chinese consumers over recent security concerns.

"Even in the United States, car owners can freely choose whether to turn on the function. Tesla is equipped with a network security system with the world's leading security level to ensure user privacy protection," Tesla said in a post on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo.

The statement came as the U.S. auto maker sought to further assure consumers of data safety after Beijing in March moved to restrict the use of Tesla cars by military personnel or employees of key state-owned companies, citing concerns over data leaks and national-security risks.

In an earlier attempt to appease concerns in China, the world's largest auto market, Chief Executive Elon Musk told a high-level state-backed conference that Tesla would never provide the U.S. government with data collected by its vehicles in China or other countries.

China has become a core market for the company, accounting for about a quarter of its global sales of roughly 500,000 vehicles in 2020.

Write to Yifan Wang at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 07, 2021 06:41 ET (10:41 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.