Members of the People’s Liberation Army are desperate to drive to work with all the style and panache that Elon Musk’s overstretched cars offer is apparently not happy. Following concerns about “national security”, the Chinese government has reportedly banned the use of Tesla vehicles by state and military employees on certain government property.
Per reports of the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, the People’s Republic of China is allegedly concerned that Tesla’s high-tech cars could be a source of data leaks or foreign espionage. Of particular concern is the large number of internal sensors and cameras installed in Tesla vehicles, which can be used to funnel sensitive data “back to the US,” government officials said.
The order regarding the ban was allegedly issued by the Chinese army and restricted government officials from using the vehicles at certain government and military properties, as well as from “To provide housing for families of staff working in sensitive industries and government agencies.” The ban follows on the heels of a “government security review” of Tesla by the government, reports WSJ, the apparently of which did not go too well.
The review expressed concern about the data collected by the vehicles and Tesla – including data on vehicle location and the contact lists of mobile phones synchronized with the car’s internal systems.
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We recently cover how the modern car is basically a treasure trove of personal data (from which people like it can be shared, sold or stolen), so China’s concerns may not be deserving.
Plus, Tesla has a handful infallible security incidents over the years. In 2016, security investigators – in China, no less –proved it they could hack the company’s cars remotely via their wifi; the hackers had the ability to brake, turn the boot and turn the vehicle’s windscreen wipers on and off. A recent episode in which a hacker could gain access to hundreds of the company’s internal security cameras via a third-party provider, also expressed concern.
The ban is also an indication of the way in which the technology industry has become a domain of the political conflict between the US and China. Under President Trump, the US moved to aggressively break down on any Chinese technology company, it considered a threat to ‘national security’ – effectively blacklisting dozens of companies and trying to block their access to US audiences while also cutting off financial investment. That China would respond in kind is apparently tantamount to the course.