Are Tesla Vehicles Invading The Privacy Of People In Idaho?

As technology continues to advance, we come across new lines or boundaries of society. Take artificial intelligence for example; there's a huge concern about AI overtaking human jobs or even overtaking the planet.

Are Tesla Vehicles Being Nosy?

There's a lot of controversy surrounding the Tesla Cybertruck and one could make the case that Elon Musk is the center of that controversy.

You either love what Musk is doing for the auto industry or you despise Musk (and his Cybertrucks) with a passion.

We've looked into the specs of Tesla vehicles and something caught our attention that provoked the question: are Teslas invading our everyday privacy?

"Sentry Mode"

One of the key features of a Tesla is its security camera system and "Sentry Mode."

"Think of Sentry Mode as an intelligent vehicle security system that alerts you when it detects possible threats nearby," Tesla says in their Model 3 owner's manual.

The Tesla even allows you to insert a USB flash drive (it comes with models built after 2020) that will store any footage it has captured.

In our research, there have been a few cases where crimes were solved thanks to a nearby Tesla with Sentry Mode active. So, this begs the question: Are Teslas parked downtown recording people in Sentry Mode?

It's possible if the circumstances all line up but Tesla's owner manual paints a different picture for how the system works.

"If a threat is detected or the vehicle sensors determine there is a lot of jerky movement like when getting towed or shaken," the manual says.

"Sentry Mode pulses the headlights, sounds the alarm, and displays a message on the touchscreen indicating that the cameras may be recording to inform individuals outside of the vehicle. The mobile app alerts you of the alarm and saves footage of the event to a USB drive (if installed)."

Tesla users can even activate a live camera (if they have enough battery) on their Tesla and take a peek at what's going on around their car.

Sure, we might have a little bit of a heads up including the "message on the touchscreen" telling us that Teslas are recording but is it enough? Have any of us ever seen those messages?

Also - what happens if a person with a Tesla is visiting your neighborhood and they park across the street while your kids are playing in the front yard? Do they have a right to record your kids playing in the yard from their car? How would you know if you're across the street?

But, we digress - we know we're going down a rabbit hole. How do you feel about Teslas and their Sentry Mode being active while parked?