Tesla whistleblower leak reveals over 3,000 reports of full self-driving safety complaints

A Tesla whistleblower leaked a massive collection of data amounting to 100 GB to German newspaper Handelsblatt.

The data reveals over 2,400 reports of self-acceleration issues, more than 1,500 braking problems, 139 instances of "unintentional emergency braking" and 383 cases of "phantom stops," wherein false collision warnings prompted unnecessary braking actions.

The files document instances of Tesla vehicles autonomously manoeuvring around obstacles in parking lots, with some resulting in minor accidents and, tragically, even fatal outcomes.

Handelsblatt's editorial team presented Tesla with a comprehensive list of questions. However, the company chose not to respond, instead demanding the deletion of the data and referring to it as a case of data theft.

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The German newspaper then released numerous articles concerning the data breach, asserting in one of them that the information they obtained “suggest that the automaker has bigger technical problems than previously thought."

As the research by Handelsblatt unfolded, concerns regarding Tesla's handling of data also came to the forefront. It became apparent that the informants had seemingly unrestricted access to the files, despite the information exceeding their areas of responsibility.

The Tesla files revealed highly sensitive information, including employee salaries, customer banking details, confidential production specifics, and even purported vehicle and social security numbers attributed to Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk.

Dagmar Hartge, the data protection officer for Brandenburg, where Tesla's German gigafactory is located, stated that "the state representative has serious indications of possible data protection violations by the automotive group Tesla."

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The German newspaper suggests that local authorities might take an interest in the breach due to its potential implications for European data protection laws. As the time of writing, neither Tesla nor Elon Musk has issued a statement regarding the leak and the allegations surrounding it.

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