On April 5th, Tesla was sued by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV) for advertising Sentry Mode. Today, the lawsuit from July 2022 has finally come to a close.
VZBV accuses Tesla of not properly promoting the functionality of its Sentry Mode, which can record damage or other events happening near the vehicle.
Sentry Mode is a very useful feature, however it does not warn people in the vicinity that they are being recorded, which violates privacy laws in some countries.
According to Reuters, the case seems to have ended today, with Ramona Pop, a member of the VZBV board, issuing a statement about Tesla’s Sentry Mode and its privacy law violations: “Camera surveillance without the knowledge of third parties is not possible, and consumers cannot use Tesla’s Sentry Mode without violating data protection law. If you activate this mode, you risk being fined. However, none of this information was mentioned in the advertising for Sentry Mode. Tesla issued a cease and desist order after the hearing in the Berlin district court and is no longer advertising in this way. The procedure for Sentry Mode is thus completed.”
VZBV states that using Sentry Mode in public spaces “violates data protection law.” Tesla will issue a cease and desist order and warn consumers that using Sentry Mode may violate data privacy laws.
VZBV also sued Tesla for misleading claims that driving its cars helps reduce CO2 emissions. However, this part of the case was dismissed in favor of Tesla, and VZBV says it will appeal the ruling.
