Hacker Uncovers Tesla Crash Data After Company Denied Its Existence
▼ Summary
– Tesla was found partly liable in a wrongful death lawsuit involving a 2019 Florida pedestrian death.
– The company claimed it did not have the crash data, but a hacker later recovered it from the vehicle.
– Tesla typically provides customer data from its servers to defend against claims, but stated it had nothing in this case.
– The family’s lawyers specifically sought the “collision snapshot” data from the car’s cameras and sensors.
– According to the trial, the local data copy was marked for deletion after upload, and someone at Tesla likely deleted the server copy.
A recent legal case involving Tesla has taken a dramatic turn after a hacker successfully recovered critical crash data the company claimed did not exist. This development emerged during a wrongful death lawsuit concerning a 2019 pedestrian fatality in Florida, raising serious questions about corporate transparency and data retention practices in the automotive industry. The incident highlights growing concerns over how automakers handle sensitive information, especially when it relates to accidents involving their vehicles.
Tesla, known for swiftly providing customer data from its servers to counter allegations, asserted in this instance that no relevant information was available. Lawyers representing the victim’s family specifically sought the “collision snapshot”, a detailed record captured by the vehicle’s cameras and sensors moments before and after impact. This data is often crucial for reconstructing events and determining liability in such cases.
During the trial, testimony revealed that shortly after the snapshot was transmitted to Tesla’s servers, the local copy on the car itself was flagged for deletion. Furthermore, evidence suggested that someone at Tesla likely took deliberate steps to erase the data from the company’s central database. This action contradicted the automaker’s initial statements and cast doubt on its handling of the investigation. The recovered information ultimately played a pivotal role in the court’s finding of partial liability against Tesla.
(Source: Ars Technica)
