Tesla Slapped With Suit Over Employee Sharing of In-Car Videos

Tesla Inc. employees viewed and shared videos and images of car owners in violation of its privacy promises and of California state laws and the state Constitution, a new proposed federal class action said.

Henry Yeh alleged that Tesla employees had access to videos and images recorded by cameras inside the company’s vehicles, and circulated the recordings of customers in private and embarrassing situations without their consent.

Tesla didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment.

At issue in the lawsuit is Tesla’s Autopilot system, which records activities inside and outside the vehicles through a driver-facing camera and a system of eight cameras providing 360-degree coverage around the vehicles.

Videos circulated among the company’s employees included those of vehicle crashes, road-rage incidents, the inside of owners’ garages, and pets and children, according to a complaint filed April 7 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

One video captured a man approaching his car while naked, it alleged.

Some of the videos were seen by scores of Tesla employees, and many were “likely” shared with people outside the company, the complaint said.

The company had reasonable alternatives to its defective camera system, including not capturing the images and video in the first place, and ensuring that they weren’t accessible to employees, it said.

The lawsuit brings claims of intrusion upon seclusion, negligence, breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, intentional misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, violation of the right to privacy in the California Constitution, and violations of the California Unfair Competition Law and the Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

Yeh is seeking actual, compensatory and punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

Blood Hurst & O’Reardon LLP and Fitzgerald Joseph LLP represent Yeh and the proposed class.

The case is Yeh v. Tesla Inc., N.D. Cal., No. 3:23-cv-01704, filed 4/11/23.