Tesla Reveals Data Privacy Details: Which Data Is Used and What Remains Private

March 8, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

Tesla reveals how it uses customer data in new privacy section

Tesla

In an age where data breaches and privacy violations are rampant, Tesla is showing a proactive approach to data privacy. The company's privacy protections are designed to go beyond industry standards to ensure that personal data is never sold, tracked, or shared without the owner's permission or knowledge.

Tesla's commitment to customer privacy and data security is evident in its policies and practices. The company allows customers to access and control their data while being transparent about what data it collects and how it's used. Tesla owners can request a copy of their data to understand its use better.

Transparency and Control

The data associated with a Tesla account includes order details, account information, customer support activity, service history from the ownership period, vehicle usage information, safety event camera recordings (if applicable), infotainment system settings information, mobile app usage information, and supercharging history.

The cameras and computer provide advanced features such as Autopilot while prioritizing customer privacy. Tesla does not continuously collect personally identifiable camera recordings; most processing occurs within the vehicle. Even if customers opt-in, camera recordings remain anonymous and are not linked to the owner or their car unless they are received as part of a safety event.

How Tesla Safeguards and Protects Customer Data

Sentry Mode and Dashcam camera recordings are processed and saved in the customer's vehicle or an external device, never on the company's servers. This provides additional protection for customers' data and ensures that it is always kept safe and secure.

Tesla collects data from its vehicles for remote diagnostics, service, or during a critical safety event. However, this data is not linked to the owner or their vehicle, and anonymous data from the company's global fleet is periodically reviewed but is not linked to the owner or their vehicle.

Data Privacy Request: A Way to Stay Informed and in Control

The company gives its customers the option to request a copy of the data associated with their Tesla account, so they can know exactly what information the company has about them. Tesla's goal is to collect and store the minimum amount of data required to provide the services customers use.

To give customers even more control over their data, the company provides the option to review settings or request a copy of their data at any time through a Data Privacy Request. This empowers customers to stay informed about their personal data and manage it according to their preferences.

Considerations for Deleting Your Tesla Account and Data

When a customer requests a copy of their data, Tesla first verifies that they are the account holder making the request. After that, the company organizes the data associated with the account in easy-to-understand file formats. When the data is ready, the customer receives an email notification letting them know that they can download it. Remember that downloading the data will not delete it from the company's servers.

An owner can delete their Tesla account and associated data permanently. However, they must remove all active Tesla products from their account before requesting deletion. Keep in mind that deleting the account means that all personal data associated with the account will be permanently erased, and the customer will no longer be able to access Tesla vehicles and energy products or services, their documents, statements, and receipts, or sign in using their account on the web or from the Tesla app.

Tesla Video About Privacy

First Look at Tesla's V12 User Interface, Full Screen Visualizations and New Media Player [Updated: Photos and Video]

Updated: April 18, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

The_Alfather / Edited by Not a Tesla App

Tesla's latest V12 user interface will change the look and feel of some of the vehicle’s operations. This new interface, announced on X, is already partially available on the Cybertruck but will now be rolled out to the Model 3 and Model Y, equipped with AMD Ryzen processors according to Tesla. However, the new Model S and Model X will likely receive it as well, although possibly not at the same time. It integrates several new features and aesthetics that set new standards in vehicle interface design.

The new interface will become available in Tesla update 2024.14, which started rolling out to employees yesterday.

New Parked Vehicle Visualization

A standout feature of the v12 UI update, not to be confused with FSD v12, is the centralized vehicle visualization, which dominates the display while parked (video below). This design choice enhances visual appeal and improves functionality by placing critical vehicle performance metrics, and status updates front and center. Similar to the layout in the Cybertruck, this feature provides drivers with a clear and immediate view of their vehicle's status and shows off the gorgeous 3D model.

V12 Ansicht (Frühlingsupdate)
👉Kein Autopilot, EAP, FSD aktiv.
👉Bremslichter werden angezeigt.
👉Blinken wird angezeigt.
👉Geile Darstellung
❤️Danke liebes Tesla Team pic.twitter.com/lmzTjKIq1x
— EFIEBER (@EFIEBER_ANDRE) April 18, 2024

New Media Player

There’s a new media player that’s larger and easier to use. By increasing the size of the media player, Tesla is now able to fit additional options that were hidden before, such as EQ and audio settings, the search icon and shuffle and repeat options.

The new media player appears while the vehicle is parked, driving or while the visualizations are in full-screen mode.

The media player is available on the Model 3 and Model Y and according to Tesla it’ll be limited to vehicles with the Ryzen-based infotainment center.

Tesla adds a new media player in update 2024.14

Improved Navigation

The navigation system will see several improvements. You’ll now see a little trip progress bar that lets you visually see how far along you are on your route.

If your vehicle has a rear screen, as in the new Model 3, the redesigned Model S or Model X, then trip information such as ETA will also be displayed on the rear screen.

Tesla already has the ability to update your route if a faster route becomes available. You can change some of these settings under Controls > Navigate. However, now the vehicle will show you if a faster route becomes available and gives you a chance to cancel the updated route if needed.

Expanded Autopilot Visualizations

Tesla is now bringing its full-screen visualizations outside of North America. However, there will be some improvements as well. In addition to being able to have the visualizations go full screen, there will now be a small map displayed in the corner as well.

That’s one of the issues with the full-screen FSD visualizations right now. If you make them full-screen, you lose your navigation map completely and only have the next turn available.

This will be the first time full-screen visualizations are available outside North America. It’s not clear whether all the FSD visualizations will be available such as traffic lights, curbs and more will be displayed, but Tesla has slowly been adding additional visualizations for non-FSD users, so there’s a chance that this feature will finally display all FSD visualizations to users outside of North America.

It’s not immediately clear whether this feature will require Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) or FSD.

Update: The full-screen visualizations do not require FSD or EAP, but unfortunately the visualizations displayed are still the same ones as in previous updates, so it won’t display the surrounding environment and curbs.

Full-Screen Browser Support

With this update, Tesla will finally let you manually make the browser full-screen. While this will make Tesla’s Theater apps a little redundant since they just loaded the website of the selected streaming service, you’ll now be able to stream any video service full screen, as long as the service supports Tesla’s browser.

As expected, the full-screen button will only be available while the vehicle is parked.

Checking Compatibility

Owners can verify their vehicle’s compatibility with the new full-screen visualizations while parked and driving by navigating to Controls > Software > Additional Vehicle Info on their Tesla’s touchscreen. This update is tailored for Tesla vehicles equipped with the AMD Ryzen processor.

Tesla's Next FSD v12 Update Will Be Available For Users on 2024.8

April 17, 2024

By Not a Tesla App Staff

Tesla will soon roll out a FSD v12 which is compatible with update 2024.8 Tesla began its public rollout of FSD v12 last month, which brings a much more refined, human-like experience to the self-driving software.

To celebrate the achievement and show owners how big of an improvement FSD v12 is, Tesla offered a free month of FSD to all owners with compatible vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

However, there was a caveat. The latest FSD v12 (v12.3.4) is Tesla update 2024.3.15. Since Tesla doesn't roll back updates since the process isn't rigorously tested, that means many owners who had already received Tesla update 2024.8.9 were left without a free trial and access to FSD v12.

Subscribing to FSD on Update 2024.8

In fact, if you're in the U.S. or Canada and subscribe to FSD while on update 2024.8.x, you'll actually receive the older, and quite a bit worse FSD v11.4.9.

The FSD v12 update has been highly anticipated and aims to finally upgrade Tesla’s ADAS level 2 system to something higher. Musk has talked about level 4 or 5, and even recently said Tesla is going all-in on FSD.

FSD v12 for Update 2024.8 Is Coming

Rohan Patel, who recently left Tesla, recently said that Tesla is already working on an FSD v12 update that is compatible with users on update 2024.8.x. This means that the next FSD update may finally be based on the 2024.8 codebase.

However, just this morning Tesla released the next major update to the platform, update 2024.14 for employee testing. The update is massive and includes an updated UI, hands-free trunk opening, a full-screen browser and more.

However, Patel never specified which codebase the next FSD update would be based on. If it's based on update 2024.8, then users who are upgraded to 2024.14 in the next couple of weeks may face a similar fate as users on 2024.8 today.

Release Date

Patel said to expect the release of the next version of FSD v12 this week. Since update 2024.14 is still being tested with "wave 1" employees, we'll likely see one of two things happen. We may see the next FSD update be based on 2024.8 and released very soon, or it'll be based on update 2024.14, but it may not be available for another couple of weeks.

Once this update arrives, owners with a Tesla on 2024.8.x will finally be able to update and receive their one-month trial of FSD v12 and finally experience what everyone has been excited about.