If you work for the Chinese military and own a Tesla, it’s probably time to think about selling your car as it can’t be driven to work or home anymore.
As Bloomberg reports, China has decided that Tesla vehicles pose a threat following concern over the multiple cameras each contains and the sensitive data they are capable of recording. With that in mind, the military has banned Elon Musk’s cars from entering any Chinese military complexes or housing compounds.
Although both Tesla in China and China’s Defense Ministry have yet to comment, a notice is making the rounds on social media in the country. Apparently it explains how the multi-direction cameras and ultrasonic sensors are capable of exposing location details, which the powers that be have now reacted to. They may also be concerned about the internal camera embedded in the rear view mirror on some models, but that is at least disabled by default for now.
The restrictions could actually be much worse for Tesla owners, however. Reuters highlights a report in The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal that suggests the ban extends to “military, state-owned enterprises in sensitive industries and key agencies.” So it may not just be military locations and housing affected. We could even reach a point where drivers need to check before making a journey in a Tesla to ensure their route is restriction-free.
