Security threat: Chinese beach resort bans ‘spying’ Tesla cars

According to latest reports, Chinese beach resort famous for its nature and historical sites is set to impose a complete ban on all Tesla electric vehicles that will be in effect for at least two months.

Beidaihe resort’s proposed Tesla ban will come into force on July 1 ahead of a planned meeting of China’s top government officials there.

Beidaihe traditionally hosts the summer retreats for the country’s political leadership, and according to the local official, the decision to ban the cars produced by the US automaker concerned “national affairs” and an official announcement of the ban will be made the coming days.

Apparently, the Chinese authorities believe that US-made Tesla vehicles, equipped with cameras and sensors, can be used to collect classified information, which could then be transferred to the US government.

Teslas had previously been forbidden from entering several other areas in China. A similar ban was imposed in early June in Chengdu in southwest China, ahead of a visit to the city by the country’s President Xi Jinping.

In March of last year, the Chinese armed forces prohibited its employees from coming to military bases and housing compounds in Teslas, due to concerns about the cars’ built-in cameras collecting sensitive data.

Tesla vehicles have quite a few more cameras than any cars from other automakers. Teslas use several small cameras located on their exterior that facilitate parking, autopilot and self-driving functions. Most Tesla models also have an interior camera mounted above the rear-view mirror, which helps track whether the driver is paying sufficient attention to the road.

During the virtual meeting in March 2021, Tesla’s Chief Executive Elon Musk strongly denied Chinese allegations of potential espionage by the vehicles.

“If Tesla used cars to carry out espionage activities in China or anywhere, we will get shut down… There’s a strong incentive for us to be confidential,” Musk said.

According to Musk, cameras built into its vehicles are only activated in North America, and all the data Tesla collected in China will be stored in the country.