Asian Tech Press (Sep 27) -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk was invited to attend the opening ceremony of the 2021 World Internet Conference and discussed the issue of data security on Sunday.
Musk delivered his speech at the Wuzhen Summit via video. For the issue of data security, which has been of particular concern to the Internet-related industries in recent years, Musk gave high recognition, saying, "Data security is key to the success of intelligent and connected vehicles. It is not only closely linked to individual's interests, but also matters to the whole society."
At the same time, Musk stated, "At Tesla, we are glad to see a number of laws and regulations that have been released to strengthen data management."
At this year's World Internet Conference, Tesla also presented its own data architecture and data security settings to the attendees in a comprehensive manner.
As seen through Tesla's demonstration, Tesla vehicles generate the following four types of data:
1. Vehicle data related to vehicle use, operation and condition
For example, vehicle speed, mileage, motor speed, steering wheel torque, software version, etc. Generally, vehicle data is not associated with a customer's account or vehicle identification number (VIN) unless triggered by a specific event, such as a safety event occurring with a customer request for remote repair, collision, etc.
2. Infotainment system data used by the in-vehicle touch screen
This type includes summary counts of features or applications used by customers, radio listening times and channels, etc. And they are stored locally in the vehicle or shared anonymously with Tesla, and in-car browser history and login credentials are not shared with Tesla.
3. Diagnostic data
It includes detailed information on vehicle configuration, firmware, energy usage, status of electronic systems, and data transferred between systems to identify errors and perform technical evaluations. Tesla claims to follow the principle of least privilege to collect such data in order to ensure customers' vehicles are reliable, safe and functioning properly.
4. Assisted & automated driving data
such a type of data includes the data required for the vehicle to provide advanced functions such as Autopilot, Smart Summon and Autopark using the camera. The camera's functionality is designed with privacy in mind, and the vehicle does not capture continuous video footage or have live view capabilities. By default, the relevant functions that rely on external cameras can process data directly without leaving the vehicle.
Tesla adopts the principles of "legal compliance, least privilege, public transparency" to collect personal information and vehicle data, which has become recognized as the most rigorous data collection method in the intelligent car field.
Musk said that Tesla has established a data center in China, and all data generated by the Chinese business, including production, sales, service and charging, is stored entirely in China, while ensuring storage security through data encryption, authentication, access control and other technical means.
The U.S. billionaire emphasized, "All personally identifiable information is securely stored in China without being transferred overseas. Only in very rare cases, for example, spare parts order from overseas is data approved for transfer internationally."
"I believe data protection is not only an issue of one single company, but should be a mutual effort for all industry players. We are working with regulators on finding the best solutions for data security," he added.
